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L to R: Dwight Crazy Boy, Calvin Plain Eagle, and Adam Whiteman will be competing this weekend at the Rocky Mountain Turf Club in Lethbridge with the Warrior Relay Race team Anatapsii. (Photo: LNN, June 29 2023)

Warrior Relay Races set to wow Lethbridge on Canada Day weekend

Jun 29, 2023 | 3:19 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – It’s set to be a special Canada Day weekend at the Rocky Mountain Turf Club.

The Lethbridge facility will host Warrior Relay Races on Saturday, July 1 and Sunday, July 2, 2023. Admission for both days will be free.

Bruce Iron Shirt is the racing coordinator for the weekend. He said the Warrior Relay Races have always been an exciting event for everyone to see.

“We always, again, create that event here during Canada Day so that people have somewhere to go for an outing,” Iron Shirt said.

“We do get a real good turnout and it’s always been a very loud crowd.”

Iron Shirt said in total, there will be 16 teams, as well as youth riders competing over the course of the weekend. There will be five heats on both Saturday and Sunday.

In addition to the Warrior Relay Races, the weekend festivities will include dancing and music at the Rocky Mountain Turf Club.

Iron Shirt said the races bring people together, and their goal is to have people show up and “enjoy an event for all, you know, First Nations, and not First Nations, to come out and see out cultural, and some of our activities that we have.”

“We’re all in one, and that is enjoying the sport of [Warrior] Relay.”

Calvin Plain Eagle will compete with his team Anatapsii during the weekend races.

Plain Eagle said, “We’re feeling pretty good. We’ve been coming out to practice here at the track and we’re really getting excited to come out and race.”

“This year, we’re going to have a good, hot few days, so we’re going to have some really fun races.”

Plain Eagle said he is encouraged by the growth of Warrior Relay Races in the region and hopes holding a free event like the one on Canada Day weekend will build up the sport’s fanbase.

The races on Saturday, July 1 will start at 7 p.m., with a 1:30 p.m. start time on Sunday.

More information on Warrior Relay Races is available at the Rocky Mountain Turf Club website.

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