Salla ski resort. Skiing with reindeers. Salla, Lapland, Finland. Race. Winter means reindeer games in some of the chillier part

Salla ski resort. Skiing with reindeers. Salla, Lapland, Finland. Race. Winter means reindeer games in some of the chillier part

Sergi Reboredo / Alamy Stock Photo

Image ID: FP41Y0

Salla ski resort. Skiing with reindeers. Salla, Lapland, Finland. Race. Winter means reindeer games in some of the chillier parts of the world, where the horned hoofstock are an integral part of everyday life. Reindeer racing is a popular and highly competitive sport in parts of Norway, Finland, and Russia, where reindeers pullings sleds or skiers sprint over the snow. And then there's Anchorage, Alaska, where the reindeer racing is more of an actual man vs. animal survival competition. For us, there's no other animal that looks quite so joyous in its racing, with its lolling tongue and gangly limbs. So in the spirit of the holidays when the fictional Rudolph is resurrected for annual Christmas storytelling, we celebrate the real racing reindeer of the world.