Colten Poitras describes Indian relay as an extreme sport.

It’s a three-horse exchange race. A single bareback rider races around a track, dismounting and switching from one horse to another — and then another — between laps, backed up by a tight support team.

A lot of people don’t really know what it is, “but it’s a growing sport,” he says.

Drawing on their years of successful racing experience and shared passion, Poitras and his partner, Charlie Nolin, co-founded a new Indian relay team in 2025 with their friend Jay Peeaychew.

They call it Black Bear, and it did so well last year that it drew an invitation for 2026 from the prestigious Calgary Stampede.

Poitras, who is from Saulteaux First Nation, serves as the team’s setter, catcher and back holder.

Recruiting their closest friends — all experienced in Indian relay — they acquired their own horses and formed their team after deciding to go for it in the fall of 2024, Nolin said.

“I think it was kind of a collective decision,” she said. “We felt like there wasn’t really anything left for us to accomplish or to prove with relay. We wanted to do something for ourselves and for one another.”

It was the best choice for them, she said. 

“It’s a lot of fun and we’re really close with Jay and [team members] Trey and Owen and Bubba and everyone who’s a part of the team. We’re all just like one happy little family.”

As the sole female member, she’s adopted a maternal role, mapping out the relays they compete in and making sure everyone gets to where they need to go.

Three men in vests decorated with coloured ribbons catch and lead three horses with Black Bear painted on their flanks inside a rodeo ring.Members of the Black Bear team are busy between relays. (Submitted by Charlie Nolin)

Riding without a saddle takes a lot of strength, endurance and training — for people and horses. 

“We use retired race horses. So these aren’t just some quarter horses or rez brumby, these are like full-blown athletes,” Nolin said.

“Like, it’s not as easy as some people can make it look. They’re extremely high strung. They’re like fire-breathing dragons.”

That shows how much training goes into them, and how much respect everyone on the team has for each other and the horses, she said.

“It’s really special being able to watch all the bonds being formed between all of the boys, for that matter. Not just Colton and Jay, but between Bubba and Owen and Trey, it’s extremely cool.”

Poitras said getting the new team of horses ready was a process of trial and error. They had to be trained, and some didn’t work out, requiring the team to purchase and train replacements.

Ultimately, the effort paid off.

A man rides bareback on a horse with a riding crop in his teeth while another man runs alongside.Jay Peeaychew, left, and Colten Poitras during a relay race. (Submitted by Charlie Nolin)

“We did really good last year,” Poitras said. 

“We ran a lot of shows and it took a while to get going. I mean, we’d raced a lot of years between the team members. We had a lot of history with horses, but as a new team we were all kind of brand new with the group of horses we had.

“So those first few wins, I think we won in Poundmaker, we won in Medicine Hat, a few other big ones in High Prairie and then we did really well in Casper. So, the wins felt really good.” 

The horses are loved, well-fed and happy, so it’s been a win all around, Nolin said. 

“Those horses are our livelihoods. So like, looking after them and making sure that they have the best care possible is definitely something that we definitely focus on.”

Heading to Calgary Stampede 2026

Peeaychew, from Red Pheasant Cree Nation, is a world champion at Indian relay and has made the sport his passion for nine year, since he started competing at age 14.

He was really excited about the team branching out and totally crushing it in their first season. Grabbing four major wins and a world champion title definitely proved Black Bear is a top contender in the sport, he said.

Two men pose for the camera with a grey horse in front of a rodeo audience.Colten Poitras, left, and Jay Peeaychew at an Indian relay event. (Submitted by Charlie Nolin)

Getting invited to the Calgary Stampede has amplified the support they already had from their communities, the team says. 

“I’m pretty lost for words on the amount of love and support that we got last summer,” said Peeaychew.

“Even just over the winter, now that we told everyone we’re going to Calgary everyone wants to pitch in and help us, and having that love and support from our home fires and our family and friends, that’s what keeps us going and keeps us moving down the road, and this keeps us positive, really.”

Their primary objectives last season were to gain recognition and enjoy the sport they’re passionate about. They achieved both.

“Just hard work and dedication ended up getting us this invite to Calgary Stampede, and … it’s obviously a main big goal that we wanted,” Peeaychew said. 

He hopes the team can carry this momentum forward, securing more victories throughout their second season, but that’s not the only consideration.

A group of people with three horses gesture at the camera in front of a rodeo crowd. The Black Bear relay team in their first season. (Submitted by Charlie Nolin)

“My main hope is just to just have fun, stay healthy, stay fit, the horses to stay healthy,” he said.

“Obviously I hope to win a lot of big shows and have another good summer, but you know, for me, my main hope for this 2026 season is just for me, my crew members and my horses just to stay healthy and keep having fun doing what we’re doing.”

Poitras said he has family who compete at the Calgary Stampede, so it’s a very special moment for him to bring his own team to the competition.

“You have to be hand-picked by the Stampede committee, which makes it even more special and it makes it even more challenging,” Nolin added.

“They’re picking the best of the best. So when you’re going there, it’s like you’re trying to win all the marbles,” she said.

“You’re going there to win … I think being there with our own team for the first time as a second-year team is pretty cool, pretty special, so we’re really excited.”

A group of people lined up with three horses smile for the camera on a sunny day at a rodeo ground.The Black Bear team with family and supporters. (Submitted by Charlie Nolin)

It’s a privilege to run against teams that have been top contenders in the sport, she said. 

“As long as I can go out there and watch the boys doing what they’re doing and being happy while doing it, and horses being healthy and sound and happy, that’s all that matters to me.

As the snow recedes, Poitras said that the team will soon begin preparations for the upcoming season — shoeing the horses, gradually adjusting their feed, and starting them on daily rides.