ARTICLE COLLABORATION WITH COWGIRL SURF CLUB | IMAGES COURTESY OF COWGIRL SURF CLUB, TONY HARRINGTON, AND MT BULLER
What started as a viral clip of Cowgirl Nikia Hunt surfing her horse through the shallows has turned into one of the boldest crossovers of western culture and alpine sport Australia has ever seen.
Behind it all is Kristin Donohue, founder of Cowgirl Surf Club, who took one look at the snow-covered slopes overseas and thought, “I wonder if we could…”
A year later, that question became reality with the first Skijoring Down Under event. A collaboration between Cowgirl Surf Club and Mt Buller, where horses, riders and skiers came together to carve new tracks in Australian snow.
Horses on the Mountain
Last winter marked 100 years since horses first carried skiers up Mt Buller, and it feels fitting that a century later, local horses returned, this time not to climb, but to fly alongside riders on skis and snowboards.
Resort spokesperson Rhylla Morgan said the idea was instantly embraced. “When Kristin called to ask whether it was possible, she didn’t realise it was something I’d been dreaming about for years. Mt Buller has a deep connection to horses and the pioneering cattlemen of the high country. Skijoring felt like the perfect way to bring those traditions together.”
It took more than a year of planning, a willing community, and the right set of skills to make it happen. Local horse trainers, mountain staff, and a crew of adventurous snowboarders all pitched in. Once the late-season snowfall arrived, the grooming team built a compact course, the guest services crew helped prepare the area (and even picked up the manure), and the cameras rolled.
The result? Pure, joyful chaos, the kind only horses and snow can create together.
A Creative Collision of Cultures
Cowgirl Surf Club has always been about breaking boundaries and finding beauty in unlikely combinations. Beach culture meets boots, surfboards meet saddles. This latest project takes that spirit to new heights, blending western grit with alpine adrenaline.
Riders Steph Dunnachie and Nikia Hunt teamed up with skiers and snowboarders including Celia Petrig, Brendan Coleman and Mt Buller locals Mietta Passon and Hannes Grimus, while local trainers from Lancefield Bloodstock prepared the horses for their time on snow.
For Donohue, it was about more than spectacle. “It took a unique mix of people with very specific skills to pull it off,” she said. “We worked with local skiers, horse trainers and an incredibly supportive community. Everyone wanted to see it succeed.”
The energy on the mountain was contagious, part rodeo, part snow festival, and entirely Australian in its determination to give something wild a go.
Making Country Cool Again
If there’s one thing Cowgirl Surf Club has proven, it’s that western culture still has plenty of new ground to cover. Whether it’s riding waves, running cattle, or galloping through snow, the brand continues to celebrate the creativity and courage that connect riders everywhere.
The Skijoring Down Under event brought together the best of both worlds, a reminder that adventure lives wherever horses are brave enough to lead us.
Cowgirl Surf Club and Mt Buller were joined by partners INEOS Grenadier, Ariat and Pit Viper in making the project a reality, with hopes that this won’t be the last time we see hooves and skis share the same horizon.
Because if there’s one thing this crew has shown us, it’s that country isn’t just cool again, it’s unstoppable.