Horse relay teams and spectators from around the country and Canada flocked to Casper this weekend for the “Championship of Champions” Indian horse relay races.
The high-adrenaline sport requires daring, finesse and teamwork and has deep roots in many Native communities. With each lap around the track, a jockey switches horses at top speed with the help of their crew, all while riding bareback.
The event brings together top-of-the-line teams to compete in one of the biggest races in the game, and has become a staple in the area since the race moved to Casper in 2019.
The energy in the stands was electric at the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds on the final day of races, as Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out got the crowd going.
“ How many of you are ready for some championship horse racing?” he yelled as spectators erupted into cheers.
“ I can’t hear you!” he said. “One more time, how many of you are ready for some championship horse racing?”
The three-day event builds up with races that thin out the competition, culminating into the final championship races, where anything can happen on the track.
“ Enjoy yourself; let's be safe out there,” said Star Comes Out. “My prayers go out to all the horse racers, the teams, the fans and the tribal leaders. We’re all here for each other. Unity!”
Calvin Ghost Bear is the president of the Horse Nations Indian Relay Council, which hosts the event along with the Northern Arapaho Tribe. He also shared remarks before the action kicked off.
“These past three days, I’ve had the opportunity to mingle and talk and meet new people. People who travelled from Chicago, New York, there's people here from Brazil, people here for reunions,” he said.
After dust-filled collisions, fumbled hand-offs and lightning fast sprints down the track, a handful of teams emerged victorious in their categories.
Abrahamson Relay, from the Colville Tribes in Washington, won first in the men’s championship, after the first three teams to cross the finish line were disqualified in the final race.
“[I] didn't want to win that way, but [I’m] very thankful that my horses came back good!” said team member Jonathan Ambrahamson after the race.
Brew Crew from the Oglala Lakota Nation in South Dakota took home the top prize in the women’s category.
Strong Horse Relay from the Colville Tribes won the junior relay, and Little River Road Relay from the Apsáalooke (Crow) Nation in Montana won both the youth and kids relays.
In a pre-event interview with Wyoming News Now, Horse Nations Indian Relay Council President Calvin Ghost Bear said over a hundred teams planned to compete in this year’s event.
