Indian Country's Kentucky Derby: Exciting And Dangerous Relay Race Grabs Hold of Tradition

KUER 90.1 | By Nate Hegyi

Published July 15, 2019 at 5:07 PM MDT

Photo of rider changing horses. — Jon Marc Skunkcap jumps from one horse to the next while his teammate steadies the animal during an Indian relay race in Fort Hall, Idaho on July 3. Indian relay has been described as America's first extreme sport by promoters.

It’s called America’s first extreme sport. It’s certainly old … and extreme. Each summer on the Fort Hall reservation in southeastern Idaho, Shoshone Bannock tribal members are gear up for Indian relay. KUER's Mountain West News Bureau reporter Nate Hegyi attended the event early this month.

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Nate Hegyi

Nate Hegyi is the Utah reporter for the Mountain West News Bureau, based at KUER. He covers federal land management agencies, indigenous issues, and the environment. Before arriving in Salt Lake City, Nate worked at Yellowstone Public Radio, Montana Public Radio, and was an intern with NPR's Morning Edition. He received a master's in journalism from the University of Montana.

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