Pikes Peak Region Trail Finder

John F. Russell, Steamboat Today

By Scott Franz, Steamboat Today

Steamboat Springs — For an hour Tuesday, Steamboat Ski Area belonged to the cowboys.

“It’s carnage. It’s entertainment. It’s just fun,” retired bull rider Jed Moore said after he raced in a slalom event against 53 other cowboys and cowgirls from across the country in the 38th annual Bud Light Cowboy Downhill. “This is my 16th year (in the race), and I’ll be back for another 20.”

The riders, who are members of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association or the Professional Bull Riders, skied or snowboarded down a slalom course to the delight of hundreds of spectators.

Many cowboy hats didn’t make the trip down the course that had the cowboys launching off a 5-foot jump, lassoing a cowgirl and saddling a horse before crossing the finish line.

“I don’t plan on ever missing another one of these,” calf roper Dakota Eldridge, of Elkno, Nev., said after his inaugural Cowboy Downhill. He had a lot to smile about at an award ceremony in the Bear River Bar & Grill on Tuesday night after he posted a first-place finish in the slalom race.

See photos from of the races and read more about the event, including which famous skier helped start it.