08/14/2026
Unfortunately I’m having some serious camera problems and pictures are not turning out clear at all… but I can’t not post these… so here’s a few from last night! Hopefully I get my camera issues sorted out soon.
Long before grandstands, buckles, prize money and rodeo arenas, Indigenous peoples of the Plains were racing horses.
Horse racing became deeply woven into the cultures of many Plains Nations after horses returned to North America through Spanish colonization and spread northward through trade and exchange. Among Nations such as the Blackfoot Confederacy, horse racing became a way to demonstrate horsemanship, courage, speed and the strength of both horse and rider.
Today, Indian Relay carries those traditions into one of the most exciting horse sports you’ll ever witness.
A rider races ba****ck around the track, then comes flying into the exchange area. With teammates controlling the incoming and outgoing horses, the rider leaps from one horse to another before taking off again usually racing three horses in total.
There are no quiet pit stops.
It’s speed. Timing. Trust. Horsemanship. And controlled chaos.
But behind the adrenaline is something much deeper.
For many Indigenous competitors and communities, Indian Relay is about family, culture, community and keeping generations of horsemanship alive. Horses have held tremendous importance among many Plains peoples, and today’s relay teams continue to carry that connection into arenas across Canada and the United States.
When you watch an Indian Relay race, you aren’t just watching riders chase a finish line.
You’re watching generations of horsemen and horsewomen carrying a tradition forward.
