Relayhorse e-magazine March 2018 RHeM Feb 2018 2 26 2 | Page 14

Championship of Champions
Win
COME FROM BEHIND
Excites Crowd in Chief Race
P
rovost excites the crowd
with a come from behind win
at the “Chamionship
of Champions”.
Everyone always loves a come from
behind story. That is exactly what Tory
Provost did Championship day at Horse
Nations Indian Relay Council “Championship
of Champions” September 24th, 2017. With a
late start and behind at least 6 lengths
in
the Chief’s race, 15-year old Tory, from
Lakota War Path, and “Who Dat”, with
horses throwing mud in their faces
gained ground on the 5/8mile track,
passing horse after horse on the seven
horse field. Taking advantage of a hole
on the inside rail Tory put
his faith in the big sorrel
gelding as he surged past hors-
es and riders, the crowd cheering
for the young rider and his horse as
they raced across the finish.
This first year of Chief racing will be
one that Tory will always remem-
ber with big wins in Rosebud,
SD, Parshall, ND, and at the
“Championship of Champi ons”
in Billings, Montana with his three
horse string, including Who
Dat, Cobell, and Foxy
Brown. But the firsts
don’t end there for him
14
as he also moved into a
catcher position this year
for Lakota War Path’s
relay team, starting at the
“Run With the Warriors”
in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, and
continuing rest of the season. Hours
of training are involved as the whole team
spends their summer training and feeding the
horses used throughout the year. Exercising
the horses is a big part of it but Provost says he
loves the time feeding and caring for the horses
too. He is no newcomer to riding as he spent
many hours riding horses when he was little in
Manderson, South Dakota, competing in the
War Pony races, and has helped Lakota War
Path for the past two years caring for the relay
horses. To keep himself in shape he runs and in
the off season he plays basketball for the Pine
Ridge Thorpes.
“I love to travel and see different things,
hang out with the other teams, and
talk about relay,
Chief race, and Warrior race,”
says Provost. The 2018 season
can’t come soon enough as
he is looking forward to the
summer on the relay and race
trail with the team of horses
Photos by
Diana Volk/HNIRC