Horse Power! Indian Relays (36 images)

Chaos! To me, that's the best one-word description of the Indian Relays. In the event, a rider races around the track bareback. When he completes the lap, a "holder" has his next, very spirited horse ready. He leaps off, runs to the other horse, and leaps onto it (hopefully) to take off on another lap. With three or four teams all doing the same, and with the unpredictability of those horses, the scene can be complete pandemonium!

Then one more exchange and another lap and it's done. It seems to me that success in the race depends more on successful exchanges than on the speed of the horses. One thing I know is that it is EXCITING!

Last evening I attended some relays in the small community of Browning, Montana. There were other events to enjoy as well: conventional speed races, a women's race, juniors' events, a candy sprint for the kids, and more. It was exciting entertainment that took me back to my photojournalism days. And, as always, I got to meet some very interesting people.

So here is a large gallery of high action photos. Enjoy.