Image from Rocky Mountain Turf Club

By Connor Gunn

26th annual Fall horserace series kicks off during Whoop-Up Days

Sep 1, 2021 | 2:43 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – As many people gather for Whoop-Up Days in Lethbridge, horses will race for their fall season starting on Sunday.

The Fall meet kicks off at the Rocky Mountain Turf Club on September 5th with races starting at 1:15 pm.

Following the festivities this upcoming weekend, three weeks later riders will compete in the locally famous “Warrior Relay.”

Warrior Relay information from the Rocky Mountain Turf Club:

The rider races bareback on thoroughbred horses and jump from one horse to the next in each lap around a track. In total, the single rider does two transfers to three different horses in three laps. First to cross the finish line wins.

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A horse can become dazed, running well past the finish line without stopping. Or worse, it could stop short of the white line at the beginning of the track, mistaking it for a barrier. Transferring from one horse to another doesn’t always go smoothly either.

The thoroughbreds can run in the wrong direction, making the team fall behind in the race. Or riders can miss their mark leaping on the animal’s back and fall off.

But the event was about more than just sport. It was about reconciliation and healing for a new generation.

“All the teams out here from Alberta and Saskatchewan. We’re pretty close. It’s like one big relay family,” said Tyree Badger, a Kehewin Cree Nation team rider.

For more information on the Fall races and the race calendar, go to rockymountainturfclub.com/racing.