Two-time defending World Champions, The Brew Crew, owned and operated by Stan Brewer, were disqualified from their opening heat in the relay after one of their star rider Hermis Tall fell off his horse during an exchange. Photo courtesy Diana Volk / Diana Volk Photography / PIHRA
Oglala Teams Compete In Indian Relays
World Champions Look To Find Stride
By Brandon Ecoffey
Lakota Country Times Editor
www.lakotacountrytimes.com PINE RIDGE -- Since the first horse arrived on the plains Native people from across the Great Plains have competed to see who's horsemanship skills are the greatest. That tradition continues with the rise of the Professional Indian Horse Racing Association (PIHRA). At the June 11-12 races in Buffalo, Wyoming, three teams from the Oglala Lakota nation kicked off the season with strong showings. Lakota Warpath, owned by Calvin Ghost Bear, displayed their experience as a veteran team by winning the Warrior Race after having struggled in the preliminary heats of the relay competition. Two-time defending World Champions, The Brew Crew, owned and operated by Stan Brewer, were disqualified from their opening heat in the relay after their star rider Hermis Tall fell off his horse during an exchange. The horse without his rider still attempted to finish the leg of the race. The Brew Crew would right the ship however as they would win the second consolation race on Sunday. "Hopefully that one slip up in our first race of the season will be the last one," said Stan Brewer of The Brew Crew. "Our rider came in for an exchange and our horse took off a little early. Our horses are just trained too well," said Brewer jokingly. The Brew Crew feature a rider who some say may be the best in the country in Manderson's Hermis Tall. The team of Brewer and Tall have been part of the last three teams to win the Professional Indian Horse Racing Association World Championships after originally competing for and with Lakota Warpath. New to the competition this year is Slim Buttes, who are owned by William "Shorty" Brewer. According to the PIHRA website "Indian relay is America’s oldest sport. It dates back over 400 years to when the horse was first re-introduced to the native cultures of the America’s. Lakota culture insists that this was in fact the second coming of the horse and its reintroduction and in fact the relationship to the plains cultures and the horse is perhaps much older than that is realized. Archeology seems to support that view." The PIHRA would add, "It appears that Indian relay developed independently amongst the Indian nations. Different cultures have different oral histories of its origins and most likely they are all true representations. To one tribe relay was used as war games, to another a relay to hunt the buffalo, to another a way to outrun the wild horses to enable their capture."
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The modern version of the sport is currently experiencing a time of rapid growth and has over 50 teams currently vying for one of thirty spots in this year's World Championships set to be held in Billings, Montana, on September, 22, 2016. During the relay portion of the race Riders and Holders line up and await a starting gunshot. After the start riders leap on horses and race three laps exchanging horses after each lap. Fifteen horses and 20 warriors are on the track at the same time working for that seamless exchange. Each team consists of a rider, an Exchange Holder who holds the horse the rider mounts, a Mugger who catches the horse the rider jumps off, and a Back Holder who's job it is to secure the extra horse during horse rotation. The PIHRA requires team members to be dressed in tribal theme oriented regalia or traditional ribbon shirts while the rider's regalia will display moccasins, breechcloths and/or leggings. All horses will be marked with traditional tribal war paint and decorations in colors determined by team tradition which may include medicine and feathers and any distinguishing personal symbol, mark and color. (Contact Brandon Ecoffey at editor@lakotacountrytimes.com) Find the award-winning Lakota Country Times on the Internet, Facebook and Twitter and download the new Lakota Country Times app today.
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