Indian relay-racing champion Chazz Racine has a guess why the exciting and fast-paced event is the hottest sport in the West right now.
“People love to see the thrills and spills,” the Blackfeet rider from Carlson Racing told us between heats on his way to winning the competition at his hometown event, North American Indian Days 2025, in Browning, Montana, on the Blackfeet Nation.
That’s certainly true, and after attending Indian relay races across Montana this season, we can confirm that the rough-and-tumble, physical nature of the sport draws fans in droves. Still, there’s more to it than the wrecks and wipeouts. What really blows you away when you watch a North American Indian relay race is the raw speed and athleticism—of the horses, the bareback riders, and the handlers who risk just as much as the athletes in the saddle.
All of Montana’s Native communities share a deep pride in their horse cultures, so it should be no surprise that they are home to some of the most exciting rodeos, flat-track races, and Indian relay contests anywhere in the world. In tribal lands, many kids grow up riding bareback before they’re tall enough to reach the stirrups. Horsemanship, athleticism, and competition aren’t just sports—they’re part of the fabric of daily life.
“If you look at relay in our cultural way, it's a big thing because when we take care of the horse, it takes care of you,” says Racine. “In the old times, you used your horse to go hunt your buffalo, to take care of your family. But nowadays we use them in a different way, but the horse still takes care of us. We still have the connection because it heals us. Maybe we're having a bad day. You go around your horses, it takes that away from you.”
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What is North American Indian Relay Racing?
For newcomers, the sport may look like sheer chaos—a blur of horses, riders, and dust flying in all directions. But like rodeo, what looks simple or wild to outsiders is actually a test of strategy, athleticism, and teamwork. Look closer, and Indian relay emerges as one of the most thrilling and beautiful sports in America.
The format is straightforward. Relays are team races, with three horses and four competitors: a rider, a catcher, an exchange holder, and a back holder. The rider sprints one lap around the track bareback, then jumps off at full speed to mount a fresh horse from the exchange holder. That process repeats until three laps are completed.
Every member of the crew matters. The catcher must grab reins cleanly at speed. The exchange holder has to position the horse perfectly so the rider can leap on and keep momentum. The back holder steadies the third horse, keeping it and everyone else safe until the final lap. It’s dangerous, fast, and a little rough—but it’s also one of the purest tests of rider and horse you’ll find.
Most relay horses aren’t quarter horses, but Thoroughbreds or mixes bred for speed and endurance. They’re trained and cared for meticulously, with a conditioning season that starts in the spring and peaks during the high-stakes summer competitions. By race day, they’re lean, strong, and blazing fast.
What it takes to Compete in Indian Relay Racing
The sport’s popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, and the competition has only grown fiercer. Racine and Carlson Racing have proven themselves on some of the biggest stages, including the Calgary Stampede. But keeping a team of top-notch relay horses in race-ready shape is no small feat. It takes time, money, and a relentless work ethic.
“I've been riding relay for 25 years,” says Racine. “I started when I was 12. I'm 37 now. So it's been a long journey and I'm still able to do it. It's taught me a lot of good work ethic and just to be humble. You can't do it if you're not going to work hard. I mean it's one of those things where your work will show.”
For Racine, relay is also about family. His father, Ervin Carlson, owns the team, and the sport is woven through their lives.
“My dad, he rodeoed a little bit, roped and stuff, but I was kind of a rough stock guy,” says Racine. “I rode saddle bronc for many years, and it took me a long ways. We always ran relay a lot too, but it wasn't as popular as it is nowadays. After I got hurt rodeoing, I decided just to stick with the racing, and I still get the rush like I did when I rode broncs and bulls. It’s that natural adrenaline.”
The financial rewards are there for top finishers, but Racine insists that money isn’t what drives him.
“I don’t worry about the money too much,” he says. “The main thing is it’s a family activity. My son mugged for today and he's only 15 years old. That’s pretty young to be out there stepping in front of a horse that’s coming at you at 30 some miles per hour, and he's done good. He's been helping me since he's just a little bitty kid. It takes a lot of people to work with the horses, and when you’re around the little ones, they help out, they feed. It’s a family thing.”
The Culture and Tradition of Indian Relay Racing
The races aren’t only about speed and competition—they’re also about honoring tradition. Teams often wear colors and designs with cultural meaning, and horses are painted with symbols for protection and strength.
“A lot of people, they want to look good, and it's good to look good,” he says, “but it has to have a meaning to it. The elders have taught me that. I want to win and everything, but I like to be safe, too.”
That sense of meaning extends to the designs Racine paints on his horses, which are tied to deep cultural symbols.
“Those seven yellow marks on his butt represent the seven stars our ancestors called the seven brothers. If you get lost, they would say to look up and follow those seven stars. It's a protection thing. You ask them to help.”
On the chest of each horse, Racine and his team add a powerful, simple mark.
“That’s the red war shield, and it’s on his chest for protection from anything. There's several other markings, and a lot of other tribes paint different symbols. But for me, I keep it pretty simple. It has to have a meaning.”
North American Indian Days, held every July in Browning on the Blackfeet Nation, offers one of the best opportunities to see this tradition and athleticism in action. The races, combined with powwow and rodeo, make it one of Montana’s most vibrant cultural gatherings.
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“If you don’t know much about Indian relay, you should come up to North American Indian Days,” says Racine. “Come on over and enjoy the powwow, the rodeo, and the races. I promise you’ll have a good time. We have some of the best teams in the sport, but talented teams come from tribes all over. When we go and race these other tribes, the Crows or the Crees up north, that’s just like us stepping into the old days. When we beat them, it’s like counting coup. It’s an old cultural connection — there’s no other feeling like it.”
For more about North American Relay Racing and Browning North American Indian Days, go to visitmt.com
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