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Going To Skijoring Races? Leave Your Drone At Home

LEADVILLE, Colo. (CBS4) - Three people are recovering after being trampled by a horse in Silverton after a low-flying drone spooked the animal at the skijoring race Saturday.

Leadville has its own skijoring races coming up and organizers there are asking spectators to leave their drones at home so they don't have any similar crashes this year.

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(credit: Shane Benjamin/Durango Herald)

Skijoring is like NASCAR with cowboys and gals and ski bums getting towed on skis by horses down Main Street in Leadville.

"It is a crazy sport, but it's a lot of fun too," said Paul Copper, Leadville's skijoring event organizer. "Competitors come get this in their blood … they come year after year after year, and even when they're too old compete really … they still want to come and compete and compete and compete."

skijoring-Paul Cooper
CBS4's Matt Kroschel interviews Paul Cooper (credit: CBS)

Leadville's event is scheduled to take place March 4-5.

"Drones are not a good thing it all … there are too many things that can go wrong, you have too many people around," Copper said. "You have horses that don't understand what they are. You have just too many liabilities to even consider having drones around."

The view from above is an exciting one, but with so many people around organizers say it's just not worth it.

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Skijoring (credit: CBS)

"We've had people call us all the time and we still get that; people wanting to come film it. They think it's safe but it's not," Copper said.

With thousands of spectators anticipated again, race organizers just want to make sure the event is a safe one for everyone.

"No drones, bottom line," Copper said.

Organizers are also asking people to leave their dogs at home.

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(credit: John Simmons)

Last year a horse had to be euthanized after a crash at a skijoring race in Leadville.

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