The best day of the year for dogs is THIS Sunday, February 10 at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Nordic Center in Teton Village.

The 8th annual Coney Classic Ski Jor is a 5k, 3K, 1/2K Nordic fun run involving a hundred or so skiers and their dogs.

Last year, my cute canine Winnie had just been adopted two months before the race so she was a newbie to the big event (and to the Jackson dog scene). As such, spent most of her time sniffing bottoms and scaling the ground for dropped pizza.

This year, however, she and her big sister Patsy, who has been honing her competitive and social skills, are ready. They’re crossing their paws for stellar results this year … or even just a finish.

Long sticks with treats dangling off the end, puppy uppers and doggy downers are highly recommended to keep the pace moving. This event will bring pooches of all sizes and temperaments. Even the occasional cat will make its bold appearance, so be ready for absolutely anything, and don’t forget to thank the little white fluffy master of ceremonies, Coney, himself.

The entry fee is $15 and ALL proceeds go to PAWS, SafePAWS, - a collaborative effort between PAWS and the Community Safety Network- the Jackson Animal Shelter, as well as a featured non-profit of the year. Registration will begin at 12:30 p.m., no pre-registration, and the race will begin at 1:30 p.m.

The only event of its kind in the valley, the Coney Classic unites all dog lovers and gives our pups a place to strut their stuff and get out and mingle with new four legged friends. Zero to three dogs for each human are welcome, so bring your friend’s dogs if they can’t make it or come alone and join the fun. All types of skis are welcome and Nordic rentals are available at the Nordic Center.

Harnesses for your dogs are also available for a small donated fee.

There are three tracks for you to choose from:
1. The Cedar’s Short Super Dash, a 200 meter sprint for the pups who are just there to party. 2. The Owen Shortcut which is a 3K loop, always a good place to head if my dog has wrapped around me for the tenth time and I am looking for a quick exit.
3. The 5k Hot Pursuit, the classic loop where the racers have time to really get their groove on with their dogs and find out how fun ski-joring can be.

While every one of my dog’s distractions could result in a face plant, I intend to flock to the Hot Pursuit regardless of whether by the end I am dragging her or she is dragging me.

Almost everyone is a winner in the Coney Classic, with awesome raffle prizes donated from all over the county and free beer and pizza for all participants at the end of the race. Not to mention boxes of dog treats and some seriously fired up pups ready to party with their new friends.

I hope to see you there! Me and my pups have been counting the days.

Photograph by Jeff Diener. 

When not ski-joring, teleskiing, flyfishing or traveling, Cloudveil ambassador Lisa Watson works PR for the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. She’s home sick still, but hopes to recover fully by Sunday’s big event.