Warrior relay racing riding into the RMTC this weekend

There will be plenty on the race card this weekend at the Rocky Mountain Turf Club.

And it won’t be just on the track.

There will be plenty of Indigenous culture to be experienced with Cultural Days, pow wow and warrior relay racing.

On Sunday there will be a tip of the white cowboy hat with the Jason Goodstriker Memorial Warrior Race, paying tribute to rider who passed away this past year.

“He always wore a white cowboy hat and there will be a lot of white cowboy hats here on Sunday, some of which will be given out in his honour,” said RMTC general manager Rose Rossi.

As well, the best of the best B horses will take the track in the B Cup races.

Put it all together and it’s going to be an amazing weekend at the track, said RMTC CEO Max Gibb.

“We know the Breeders Cup is the biggest race in North America. We hold the best of the B horses and they will be running Sunday. So we have an unbelievable horse racing program. But we’re also cosponsoring and working with the Canadian Blackfoot and Cultural Society and its Cultural Days.”

It will make for an entertaining race card both Saturday and Sunday.

“Along with the regular horse racing, at 4 p.m. there will be the best of the best competitors in warrior relay races, going Saturday and again on Sunday with a championship race in the last race in honour of Jason Goodstriker. It’s his memorial Warrior Race,” said Gibb.

“Jason is a legend. The Goodstriker family is coming together and working with us to have dancing, drummers, prayer and a championship race.”

The purse is $5,000 for the championship race and will be one of the highest purses ever in Alberta for a relay race with some of the best teams competing, said Gibb.

Goodstriker was a former Alberta Regional Chief for the Assembly for First Nations and a member of the Fair Deal panel. He was also a well-respected leader, announcer, educator and athlete. Sunday would have been Goodstriker’s 49th birthday.

“He was just an amazing man and more of his story will be told on that day,” said Gibb.

“He’ll be honoured. So (it’s) a whole weekend of racing, pow wow and warrior relay racing that’s fun and open to everyone. It’s an amazing sport. It’s an extreme sport and it’s the longest-running sport in North America. It’s every important to the Indigenous community, but it’s very important and exciting for everyone.”

Twelve teams - TK Farriers Relay, Mini Thni Blue Feather Relay, Old Sun, Partner Stables, Rafter BT Relay, Anatapsii Relay, Travis Blood Relay, Pretty Young Man Relay, Northern Star Relay, White Lightning Relay, Whitestone Relay and Gahne Relay - will race in three heats, seeking a berth in the Jason Goodstriker Memorial Warrior Race Sunday.

June Many Grey Horses is the coordinator of the warrior races, coordinating and building relationships with the teams.

“Teams (from) Saskatchewan and northern Alberta are coming this weekend,” she said.

“So we’re going to get a real combination of competition. A lot of them have championships under their experience, right to teams who have come together for this weekend. So you have that vast experience.”

Horses are a big part of the Blackfoot way of life, said Many Grey Horses.

“They’re so a part of our spirit and our every day life. I get up every morning, look out my window and see all our horses. They’re so a part of me that I don’t know any other way.”

The North American Championship Indian Relay is taking place this weekend in Casper, Wyoming, said Many Grey Horses.

“But for the Canadians that couldn’t go there to participate, we decided to host here. This is the biggest purse for our championship race on Sunday. So I really hope people come out and support the warrior relay. It’s excitement, it’s an in-your-face, extreme sport at its finest and all these jockeys and warriors are experienced. I ask that southern Alberta come and enjoy the races this weekend.”

The warrior relay racers are equally excited to take the RMTC track this weekend.

“They’ve been waiting and they want this,” said Many Grey Horses.

“They look forward to the next race. This is how I feel. It’s almost as big as the Calgary Stampede, that big excitement. They’re looking forward to this and they’re ready because this is the last show before winter. So they want to be here.”

In addition to the $5,000 purse, a bronze trophy, blanket and jackets are also up for grabs.

There is a $10 admission fee at the door.

Admission is free for kids 10-and-under and for those 65-and-over.

As per Alberta Health Services regulations, a proof of vaccination will be required at the gate.

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