howdy folks and greetings from the Great Plains of North Texas
where it is a hot 100 degrees Fahrenheit today which would be about
38 C.
When I was doing research for the Black Cowboy series of posts I kept
running into "relay races" so that had me curious enough to go back
and look them up when I finished my other cowboy series.
And boy what I found was amazing! The term Relay Races refers to
the most exciting races you never heard of, they are talking about
Indian horse racing where teams compete in a relay but the
contestants don't change off like in a running relay on foot.
In a horse relay there is one rider who changes horses each lap.
There are 5 teams in each race with each team composed of a rider,
two handlers and a catcher to stop the horse which the rider is getting
off of to jump on another one!
source
You can see why it's so exciting with chaotic exchanges occurring
because of all those horses and handlers involved in one spot on the
track. And no saddles folks, no saddles!!
I had no idea that these races have been going on for decades, at least
from the 1970s and probably much earlier. In fact one of the experts
on relay races is a gentleman by the name of Floyd Osborn who has a
long history of relay racing experience and used to be a rider himself.
Mr. Osborn who was born at Fort Washakie on the Wind River
Reservation in Wyoming and grew up on Idaho’s Shoshone-Bannock
Reservation and is the great-grandson of an Englishman who
imported horses from Great Britain and they started using those
thoroughbreds in the races.
source
He says this about the history of relay races.." the practice of riding
horses in relay sequence may have originated as a way of expediting
messages of approaching enemies back to tribal chiefs."
source
So this isn't a new method and this type of racing was popular in the
1920's and is gaining more popularity all the time. Some professional
rodeos are even hosting the relay races again like they did in the
1920's.
They're held predominately in the North in the states of Wyoming,
Montana and Idaho but you can go to the Horse Nations Indian Relay
Council website for scheduled events.
http://www.horsenationsrelay.com
This sport is so exciting. I mean you have the best riders in the world
who grew up with horses and riding as a way of life in the traditions
of their tribes, and you have some of the fastest horses on earth.
When you add in the danger, the difficulty factors, the mechanics of
how the relays are completed with jostling race horses anxious to run
and the skill of switching horses without stopping and you can get a
little bit of the picture.
source
I hope these photos capture that excitement and the skill that it takes
to do this. The event is so unique that it should be attracting major
sponsors and be carried by more networks and hosted by more of the
major professional rodeos.
source
Having said that though, I don't believe most teams are particularly
racing for the prize money but out of tradition and honor for their
tribe and people.
It's very unique because the indigenous people have a relationship
with their animals and horses in particular that few outsiders can
comprehend. The horses are their companions and kindred spirits
and in many cases they were raised up together.
source
I don't think you'll find many white cowboys praying with their horses
before a race. I'm just sayin. No offence to any white cowboys who do.
By the way, these races are held at professional Indian rodeos, which I
will do posts about, and also at Pow Wows. The rodeos are mostly held
in the Northeast but man..I wish they'd come to Texas!
I hope you've enjoyed this small glimpse into the wild world of horse
relay racing. Thanks so much for reading and God bless you all!
-jonboy Texas
the gentleman redneck
ya know...you might just be a redneck if:
You throw a beer can out the truck window and your wife shoots it!
