It is speculated that when World War II ended, men from the 10th Mountain Division returned home to the American west after seeing skijoring in countries such as France and Switzerland. To simplify the equipment, cowboys on horseback simply attached a long rope to the saddle horn of a western saddle, added a water skiing tow handle, and the skier held on as the horse was ridden at a gallop down a long straightaway—usually an open field or a snow-covered roadway. Mountain towns like Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Steamboat Springs, Colorado took up the sport. Originally these matches ran multiple teams of horse, rider and skier side by side against one another rather than single teams against the clock. This is possibly how modern American races were born. The city of Leadville, Colorado first organized an equestrian competition in 1949, which today is still in operation.The Leadville version is normally spelled as two words: "Ski Joring". In 1976, Denver, Colorado listed skijoring as an exhibition sport in their bid for the Winter Olympics. Although Denver won the bid, the city ultimately turned it down, and skijoring was likewise not held.