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Animals and the Winter Olympic Games

Other than the animals depicted as Winter Olympic Games mascots, there has never been any animal involvement in official sports at any Winter Olympic Games (unlike at the summer games such as pigeon shooting and equestrian). The only involvement of animals has been in demonstration events: dog sled racing and skijoring.

Skijøring with horses a Skijoring event from 1930

At the Lake Placid Winter Olympics in 1932 there was a dog sled racing demonstration event, in which teams of six dogs pulled a sled and rider across the snow. Horses were involved at the 1928 Olympics in St. Moritz, in the skijoring demonstration event which involved athletes were towed on skis behind riderless horses.



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