- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,210,577
- Reaction score
- 59
CHEYENNE — The Horse Nations Indian Relay Council has continued to grow a centuries-old sport for nearly a decade now.
As it continues to expand heading into its 10th season, the HNIRC will bring its horses and racers to Cheyenne for the first time this fall, and also hopes to bring it to even larger audiences this summer during Cheyenne Frontier Days.
For the HNIRC, the decision to relocate its championship races, held Sept. 25-27, from its previous home in Casper to Frontier Park is a move aimed at accommodating the rapid expansion of the extreme sport and garnering larger audiences and prize purses for its racers.
Calvin Ghost Bear, president of the HNIRC, said the transition was necessary because the organization had simply reached its limits in its previous location.
“We’ve outgrown Casper,” Ghost Bear told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. “... It was definitely something that we felt that we needed to do to bring more awareness to Indian Relay, provide the fans and the riders a new venue, and it was part of growing this event, and we thought that that was very important.”
In a news release, the council noted that moving the event to Cheyenne “begins an exciting new chapter” as the sport continues to draw competitors and fans from across North America and as far away as Europe.
In September, the three-day event will feature some of the fastest and most skilled Indian Relay teams in North America competing for the coveted championship title. Each performance will begin at 2 p.m., with races taking place on Friday, Sept. 25; Saturday, Sept. 26, and culminating in the championship on Sunday, Sept. 27.
Cheyenne Frontier Days
While the championship is set for September, fans may not have to wait until the fall to see the action at Frontier Park. Discussions are currently underway between the HNIRC and Cheyenne Frontier Days leadership regarding the potential for relay races during the “Daddy of ‘em All” this July.
Ghost Bear said the council is actively working on putting together a race schedule for both weekends of Cheyenne Frontier Days. While final approvals are pending, the intent is to bring the thrill of the relay to the peak of the summer tourism season.
“Our intention is to work with the Cheyenne Frontier Days to have a demonstration race and possibly an accredited race during that time,” Ghost Bear said. An accredited race would allow teams to earn points and potentially secure a birth into the championship for the 2026 season.
CFD Chief Executive Officer Tom Hirsig confirmed no formal agreement has been reached for Indian Relay races during the 130th anniversary “Daddy of ‘em All,” which takes place July 17-26. But he said he expects the “handshake agreement” to turn into actual competition before summer arrives.
“We’re going to figure out the dates here pretty soon and make something happen,” Hirsig told the WTE, noting his excitement for the potential of adding more thrilling competition and pageantry to the world’s largest outdoor rodeo.
During the 2025 season, Ghost Bear said there were 103 teams, composed of 53 men’s teams representing 21 tribal nations, 17 women’s teams representing 12 tribal nations and 13 junior teams representing eight tribal nations. There were also 20 youth teams representing 12 tribal nations.
“I think this year that we will exceed that, given our growth in the sport. We figure we get about a 3% to 5% increase every year. That could be in any one of the divisions,” Ghost Bear said, estimating more than 110 teams will be represented in Cheyenne later this year.
The Indian Relay
Indian Relay is a team event that requires great skill and endurance and can sometimes be chaotic, Ghost Bear said. Throughout the event, riders must display horsemanship, courage, precision timing and communication.
The sport is deeply rooted in tribal nation traditions that date back generations and hundreds of years. Historically, the roots of the modern relay can be traced to horse-stealing raids, where warriors would need to exchange horses quickly while being pursued, according to Sheridan racer Kennard Real Bird in a 2025 CBS interview.
In a standard race, a team consists of four people and three horses with no saddles. A single rider must complete three laps around the track, but there is a catch: they must switch to a fresh horse at the start of each lap. This happens in a move where the rider must dismount a moving horse and leap onto a new horse.
The crew is essential to both safety and speed. A “mugger” catches the incoming horse, while an “exchange holder” holds the fresh mount in position. A “back holder” manages the third horse until it is time for the final exchange. There can be between 15 and 18 horses on the half-mile track at one time.
“There’s some chaos, there’s some teamwork, there’s some camaraderie, there’s just an intense moment with the teams setting up the next horse and get ready to catch the next horse because this is their last lap,” Ghost Bear said, adding that the lead can change quickly and often in a single three-lap race.
CFD’s Hirsig said rodeo fans won’t be disappointed when they see the high level of competition and skill exhibited by Indian Relay racers.
“It’s just an incredible thing they can do that,” he said. “The talent of these Native Americans and the skill they exhibit and horsemanship on ******** is pretty incredible.”
A growing sport
Today, the HNIRC represents more than 100 relay teams from 15 tribal nations, with divisions for men, women and even youth as young as 6 years old. Ghost Bear noted that athletes are becoming more serious about their training and are breeding or buying high-performance horses specifically for speed.
Going into its 10th season, Ghost Bear said some riders who began with the council as youth are now adults and have grown with the organization, and the racers have continued to earn greater prize purses as the audience grows.
The goal of the HNIRC is to “honor the heritage of Indian Relay racing, support the communities involved, and inspire new generations of fans and competitors,” according to its website. As the sport grows, so do the stakes. Purses for winners have increased significantly, providing teams with more than just bragging rights.
As the 2026 “Tour of Champions” makes its way across the West — with stops in places like the Calgary Stampede and the Pendleton Round-Up — all roads now lead to Cheyenne. Tickets for the September championship go on sale April 1 at the official Horse Nations website, horsenationsindianrelay.com.
“This being our 10th year is very special to us because we can reflect back on our growth and look at where we, as the board, and we, as an organization, how we have grown. And we always look at the tribal nations who supported this event and helped us out as well. We really appreciate everything that they have done as well, the tribal nations,” Ghost Bear said.
When asked if CFD had sought out this agreement during the self-proclaimed “Year of the American Indian” — which also will feature the debut of a brand new, larger Indian Village — Hirsig said they did not.
“We wanted to have maybe some Indian Relay racing here, but a lot of it was just coincidence,” he said. “I wish I could tell you we sought this out, but, you know, some things are just dumb luck.”
Continue reading...
As it continues to expand heading into its 10th season, the HNIRC will bring its horses and racers to Cheyenne for the first time this fall, and also hopes to bring it to even larger audiences this summer during Cheyenne Frontier Days.
For the HNIRC, the decision to relocate its championship races, held Sept. 25-27, from its previous home in Casper to Frontier Park is a move aimed at accommodating the rapid expansion of the extreme sport and garnering larger audiences and prize purses for its racers.
Calvin Ghost Bear, president of the HNIRC, said the transition was necessary because the organization had simply reached its limits in its previous location.
“We’ve outgrown Casper,” Ghost Bear told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. “... It was definitely something that we felt that we needed to do to bring more awareness to Indian Relay, provide the fans and the riders a new venue, and it was part of growing this event, and we thought that that was very important.”
In a news release, the council noted that moving the event to Cheyenne “begins an exciting new chapter” as the sport continues to draw competitors and fans from across North America and as far away as Europe.
In September, the three-day event will feature some of the fastest and most skilled Indian Relay teams in North America competing for the coveted championship title. Each performance will begin at 2 p.m., with races taking place on Friday, Sept. 25; Saturday, Sept. 26, and culminating in the championship on Sunday, Sept. 27.
Cheyenne Frontier Days
While the championship is set for September, fans may not have to wait until the fall to see the action at Frontier Park. Discussions are currently underway between the HNIRC and Cheyenne Frontier Days leadership regarding the potential for relay races during the “Daddy of ‘em All” this July.
Ghost Bear said the council is actively working on putting together a race schedule for both weekends of Cheyenne Frontier Days. While final approvals are pending, the intent is to bring the thrill of the relay to the peak of the summer tourism season.
“Our intention is to work with the Cheyenne Frontier Days to have a demonstration race and possibly an accredited race during that time,” Ghost Bear said. An accredited race would allow teams to earn points and potentially secure a birth into the championship for the 2026 season.
CFD Chief Executive Officer Tom Hirsig confirmed no formal agreement has been reached for Indian Relay races during the 130th anniversary “Daddy of ‘em All,” which takes place July 17-26. But he said he expects the “handshake agreement” to turn into actual competition before summer arrives.
“We’re going to figure out the dates here pretty soon and make something happen,” Hirsig told the WTE, noting his excitement for the potential of adding more thrilling competition and pageantry to the world’s largest outdoor rodeo.
During the 2025 season, Ghost Bear said there were 103 teams, composed of 53 men’s teams representing 21 tribal nations, 17 women’s teams representing 12 tribal nations and 13 junior teams representing eight tribal nations. There were also 20 youth teams representing 12 tribal nations.
“I think this year that we will exceed that, given our growth in the sport. We figure we get about a 3% to 5% increase every year. That could be in any one of the divisions,” Ghost Bear said, estimating more than 110 teams will be represented in Cheyenne later this year.
The Indian Relay
Indian Relay is a team event that requires great skill and endurance and can sometimes be chaotic, Ghost Bear said. Throughout the event, riders must display horsemanship, courage, precision timing and communication.
The sport is deeply rooted in tribal nation traditions that date back generations and hundreds of years. Historically, the roots of the modern relay can be traced to horse-stealing raids, where warriors would need to exchange horses quickly while being pursued, according to Sheridan racer Kennard Real Bird in a 2025 CBS interview.
In a standard race, a team consists of four people and three horses with no saddles. A single rider must complete three laps around the track, but there is a catch: they must switch to a fresh horse at the start of each lap. This happens in a move where the rider must dismount a moving horse and leap onto a new horse.
The crew is essential to both safety and speed. A “mugger” catches the incoming horse, while an “exchange holder” holds the fresh mount in position. A “back holder” manages the third horse until it is time for the final exchange. There can be between 15 and 18 horses on the half-mile track at one time.
“There’s some chaos, there’s some teamwork, there’s some camaraderie, there’s just an intense moment with the teams setting up the next horse and get ready to catch the next horse because this is their last lap,” Ghost Bear said, adding that the lead can change quickly and often in a single three-lap race.
CFD’s Hirsig said rodeo fans won’t be disappointed when they see the high level of competition and skill exhibited by Indian Relay racers.
“It’s just an incredible thing they can do that,” he said. “The talent of these Native Americans and the skill they exhibit and horsemanship on ******** is pretty incredible.”
A growing sport
Today, the HNIRC represents more than 100 relay teams from 15 tribal nations, with divisions for men, women and even youth as young as 6 years old. Ghost Bear noted that athletes are becoming more serious about their training and are breeding or buying high-performance horses specifically for speed.
Going into its 10th season, Ghost Bear said some riders who began with the council as youth are now adults and have grown with the organization, and the racers have continued to earn greater prize purses as the audience grows.
The goal of the HNIRC is to “honor the heritage of Indian Relay racing, support the communities involved, and inspire new generations of fans and competitors,” according to its website. As the sport grows, so do the stakes. Purses for winners have increased significantly, providing teams with more than just bragging rights.
As the 2026 “Tour of Champions” makes its way across the West — with stops in places like the Calgary Stampede and the Pendleton Round-Up — all roads now lead to Cheyenne. Tickets for the September championship go on sale April 1 at the official Horse Nations website, horsenationsindianrelay.com.
“This being our 10th year is very special to us because we can reflect back on our growth and look at where we, as the board, and we, as an organization, how we have grown. And we always look at the tribal nations who supported this event and helped us out as well. We really appreciate everything that they have done as well, the tribal nations,” Ghost Bear said.
When asked if CFD had sought out this agreement during the self-proclaimed “Year of the American Indian” — which also will feature the debut of a brand new, larger Indian Village — Hirsig said they did not.
“We wanted to have maybe some Indian Relay racing here, but a lot of it was just coincidence,” he said. “I wish I could tell you we sought this out, but, you know, some things are just dumb luck.”
Continue reading...
