Indian Relay

With the Dodson Fairgrounds packed out with thousands in attendance, the Indian Relay Races lived up to expectations, providing the crowd with plenty of excitement during both the morning qualifying rounds and during the final four races in the afternoon.

The event, which was accredited by the Horse Nations Indian Relay Council and sponsored by the Fort Belknap Indian Community / Aaniiih and Assiniboine / Nakoda tribes, crowned its first champion, the Carlson Relay team thanks to some solid riding from Chaz Racine, a 29-year-old from Browning, Mont.

"It was a good one here," Racine said after his victory. "I came here when I first started my career about 17 years ago."

Racine admits that back then things were different for himself as a rider.

"I was 12 years old when I raced here," he said. "I didn't have very good luck. But my first time coming back it was a blast."

Carlson Relay won their heat in the opening races with impressive timing.

Their final heat was full of suspense as his second race horse bucked high during the first and second exchanges.

"He got up but it's all about timing," Racine said. "When I leave the back of my other horse it is two or three steps. He knows that I'm right there and he ain't gonna wait. He wants to go, that's why he rears."

He shared the key to his success which included a second place finish at Emerald Downs, in Seattle, Wash. last June, an event that the team had won in 2015 and 2016.

"It's all training and repetition every day," Racine said. "It's all muscle memory. You have to get it into your muscles and into your head."

By winning the event's Championship, the Carlson Relay Team qualified for the 6th Annual All Nations Indian Championship event in Billings this September.

The P.C. Fair event was put on by Wes KillEagle Sr., his wife Iris KillEagle and their family from the Northeast Corner Community Committee of Fort Belknap.

"I think the support is overwhelming," Iris said. "We were hoping to get this much of a turnout so that hopefully we can make this an annual event."

She went on to say that the event was thrown together quickly and they were not sure how the county would respond to it.

"The Fair Board jumped on, so I think that was very key," Iris said. "Wes spent a good two weeks on the phone, making all of these happening."

The couple was able to see their son Wes KillEagle Jr. and their one-year-old grand-daughter Payton who has been battling liver cancer in Seattle, Wash. since March. Wes Jr., Payton and her older sister Ivis were able to come see the relay races as well as attend the P.C. Fair.

"As a mom, I'm still very emotional about the whole thing," Iris said. "I was in Seattle with Wesley (Jr.) when Payton got her scan and the doctor hesitantly said yes you can go home."

Iris mentioned that many people at the fair have been involved with the situation.

"It is very nice because there are so many people here who have been so supportive of Wesley and Payton's journey," Iris said.

Wes Sr., a man of few words, expressed his gratitude to those who had supported the event.

"Phillips County has treated us like family with this Indian relay," Wes Sr. said. "I want to thank everyone for showing up and supporting us."

The event held the Joe Kirkaldie Indian Mile Memorial Race that was won by rider Jaylin Potts, who rides with Ross DeRoche, a team that just missed out on the main relay events.

Kirkaldie's son Byard Kirkaldie of Fort Belknap was also happy with the turnout of the crowd.

"They reacted good. That reacted just like everywhere we go," Kirkaldie said.

Kirkaldie and his family field a couple of teams including the Mountain River Relay team that took second place during the main event and Moccasin Flat that took second in the consolation race but the Kirkaldie family had been racing at the Dodson Fairgrounds for generations.

"They did Blackjack races and my father (Joe) raced here, like his dad did," he said. "My nephew Shawn Morin is a holder (for our team)."

Morin, who holds for Moccasin Flat, admitted their first race didn't go well.

"They went good but anything can happen in Indian Relay," Morin said. "It was a tough day today, but we are going to get back at it this evening."

Morin was honored to be a part of the event, which featured the memorial for his grandfather.

"This track is pretty special," Morin said. "It's probably where my grandpa had his last race."

The event's ½ Mile Women's Race was won by Vanessa Horn. Ashley Bearchild was second and Rayel Brown was third.

Championship Results: 1st Place - Carlson Relay - Blackfeet ($3,200), 2nd Place - Mountain River - Fort Belknap ($2,500), 3rd Place - River Road Relay - Crow ($2,000), 4th Place - Alligator Creek - Crow ($1,500), 5th Place - Fast Travelers - Fort Belknap ($1,000). Consolation Results from today: 1st Place - Wolf Mountain Express - Fort Belknap ($825), 2nd Place - Moccasin Flats - Fort Belknap ($625), 3rd Place - Pikuni Elite - Blackfeet ($350), 4th Place - Rides A Pretty Horse - Crow ($250), 5th Place – Plain Feather - Fort Belknap ($150).