All summer, Indian Relay teams have raced toward one destination: Cheyenne, Wyo. After a season of competition across the Tour of Champions, the road ends Sept. 25-27 at Frontier Park, where the 2026 Indian Relay Championship of Champions will decide this year’s winners.
Indian Relay riders race bareback, completing laps aboard three different horses, making high-speed exchanges with the help of a mugger and back holder. It is a combination of horsemanship, athleticism and teamwork where seconds, and sometimes fractions of a second, separate the field.
For the Horse Nations Indian Relay Council, the weekend marks two milestones: its 10th Championship year and the first time the event has been held in Cheyenne.
“When you look down that track and see all those teams together, you’re going to see what we’ve built over 10 years,” says Calvin Ghost Bear, president of the Horse Nations Indian Relay Council. “You’ll see people who have been with us from the beginning and kids who are just starting. That’s what this championship is about. And this year, we’re bringing all of it to Cheyenne.”
A championship for every generation
The Championship of Champions will crown winners in Men’s, Women’s, Junior, Youth and Kids Relay, bringing generations of Indian Relay competitors onto the same track at Frontier Park. Women’s Relay has become an important part of the sport’s growth as well, while Junior, Youth and Kids Relay are giving the next generation a place to begin their own Indian Relay journey.
Fans will have opportunities to meet Tour of Champions teams during autograph sessions and experience the pageantry surrounding Indian Relay, including drummers, dancers and color guard. Activities will also include the Calcutta before the final races are decided.
Reserved seating is available in advance at horsenationsindianrelay.com, with tickets also available at the gate. Tickets purchased at the gate will be $5 higher than advance prices.
