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Prince Three Irons, right, takes off in the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation Indian Relay Series finals at Twin Buttes. At the left is his mugger Kadyen Howe. A mugger catches the incoming horse to allow the rider to dismount and leap onto the next horse.

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Delany Lester, doing the crop drop, wins a heat at the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation Indian Relay Series finals at Twin Buttes.

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TWIN BUTTES – The temperature was 58 and rainy. The track was soft, wet and difficult. Half the teams were a no-show, but the crowd filling the stands still was loving the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara National Indian Relay Series finals held at the Twin Buttes Fairgrounds on Sunday, Aug. 20.

One standout performance was by Prince Three Irons. Three Irons, of Montana, was in a serious car accident with his friend, Ferlin Blacksmith, who lost his life on Sept. 13, 2020. Blacksmith, also of Montana, was the Awa Daa Hey jockey at Independence, northeast of Mandaree, at the time. Three Irons was out of racing until this year. This is his comeback year.

The day before the MHA National Indian Relay series finals Three Irons was in the Saddle Butte Challenge at Independence. At the Challenge, he came in second to Chalmers Combellick, who won last year.

The Challenge was a one-mile swim in Saddle Butte Bay, then a four-mile run, followed by a three-horse, nine-mile relay while in 80-degree weather with 20 mph winds. Three Irons was successful in winning his first heat and taking second the next day.

The overall winner of the MHA National Indian Relay series finals was the Mountain River Relay team with jockey Nolan Werk. Second place was Three Irons, jockey for Awa Daa Hey from Independence.