Standing-room-only crowds gathered at Lloydminster Exhibition‘s Halstead Downs for two days of high-energy Indian Relay Racing over the weekend.
Read more: GALLERY/VIDEO: Lloydminster Indian Relay action hits Halstead Downs
Teams from Alberta and Saskatchewan competed in one of North America’s most intense equine sports on July 25 and 26, presented by Onion Lake Enterprises.
Judge Brian Cardinal, a former Saddle Lake team owner, has officiated relay races for four years. Watching the sport’s rapid growth is a source of pride for him.
“I used to have a team but there’s other teams getting into it,” Cardinal said, noting the sport’s expanding reach across western Canada and the United States. “Showing it on TV, Calgary Stampede, that was something.”
In fact, national television broadcasts at the Calgary Stampede boosted the sport’s profile to new heights this year.
Cardinal recalled how, during his own competing years at the Stampede in 2022 and 2023, the grandstands would visibly fill up as the relay heats approached.
While the sport offers thrilling entertainment for spectators, judging the races requires strict precision to ensure safety and fair play.
“The main thing — we don’t want the rider being touched or helped to get on. If they help them on, they get disqualified,” Cardinal explained.
Riders face automatic disqualification if they lose control of a horse. Additionally, track interference — like cutting off competitors down the stretch — causes placement penalties.
The competition structure begins on opening day with qualifying heats that determine final positions.
“If they come in first, they’re in the championship heat,” Cardinal said, with second, third and fourth-place finishers moving into consolation heats for the remainder of the weekend.
Action kicked off Saturday evening following opening ceremonies and wrapped up Sunday afternoon, leaving local fans treated to a display of speed, culture, and extreme athleticism.
Read more: VIDEO/GALLERY: Onion Lake powwow draws large crowds, celebrates milestone year
