Relayhorse e-magazine March 2018 RHeM Feb 2018 2 26 2 | Page 13

printing 100 yards through deep mud,
S
Brian Beetem, riding for Dancing Warrior,
raced to “Paint Power,” a 5-year old gray
mare, on Championship day, September 24th
at the HNIRC 2017 Championship of Champi-
ons in Billings, MT. Horses leaped forward
as riders mounted in the Warrior Race,
Beetem watch another rider miss jumping
and go down in the mud. It was a tight race
as the horses rounded the corner heading
down the home stretch but the gray filly and
Beetem’s riding skills brought them success
as they crossed the finish line to be HNIRC
2017 Warrior Race Champion. H e was also
second both days in the Chief’s Race and won
the Warrior race both days to finish off the
season.
Beetem, a professional jockey, broke his leg
in a gate race at Miles City, MT during their
annual Miles City Bucking Horse Sale and
races. Spending 5 weeks laid up he was able
to go back to racing at the Great Falls, MT
race meet and spent the summer on the road
gate racing. He is currently in Grand Island,
Nebraska spending all day exercising hors-
es getting ready for the race meet to start
there and then he will head to Iowa to Prairie
Meadows for their meet.
The 25-year old, Oglala Lakota, from Pine
Ridge, SD says his mentor was his “big
brother” Stan Brewer and he learned to ride
and relay raced for Brew Crew, DD Express,
and Dancing Warrior. He say’s he has ridden
the best relay horse in the history of relay,
“Red Man” who also took Brew Crew to
win the World Championships in Sheridan,
Wyoming with Hermis Tall riding. The now
14-year gelding is the number 2 horse and
he is a Quarter Horse that was performance
bred but they thought he was too little and
instead relays against Thoroughbreds.
Beetem no longer relays as his time is spent
gate racing, and one of his biggest wins was
in 2014 winning the $30,000 Miles City Futuri-
ty in Miles City, MT. When the gates pop you
will know he is following his dream of racing.
Championship of Champions will be help in
Kennewick, WA September 21-23rd for more
information go to www.horsenationsrelay.
com
Photos by Diana Volk/HNIRC
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