Outriding the Devil to Present First-Ever MVP Buckle at World Championship Indian Relay Races
· Yahoo Sports
A new tradition will begin at this year’s World Championship Indian Relay Races as the production team behind the documentary Outriding the Devil partners with the Sheridan WYO Rodeo to present the event’s inaugural Most Valuable Player (MVP) buckle to the competition’s standout rider.
The new award recognizes the athleticism, courage and cultural significance of Indian Relay racing, a fast-paced, team-based horse racing tradition rooted in Native communities and widely regarded as one of the most thrilling events in Western sports.
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Handcrafted by Montana Silversmiths, the buckle features imagery of a rider overcoming life’s challenges and symbolizes resilience, perseverance and the enduring spirit of Native peoples.
American Indian participation has been an integral part of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo since its founding. The event initially welcomed riders from neighboring Northern Cheyenne and Crow communities before expanding to include tribal nations from across the region. Today, Sheridan is home to the World Championship Indian Relay Races, which draw top riders, teams and spectators from throughout Indian Country and the West.
“Indian Relay is America’s original extreme sport,” said Zane Garstad, executive director of the Sheridan WYO Rodeo and World Championship Indian Relay.
The annual championship has become one of the premier gatherings for relay racing, showcasing elite horsemanship, endurance and teamwork while celebrating Native culture and tradition.
Erin E. Mitchell, senior producer of Outriding the Devil, designed the inaugural MVP buckle and will present it following the championship races on Saturday, July 11.
“It is a profound honor to partner with the WYO Rodeo for this historic event,” Mitchell said. “The Outriding the Devil buckle symbolizes the Western spirit, grit and resilience that lives in all of us. Every American Indian alive today has outridden the devil and continues to outride the devil every single day. They, alongside their horse relatives, are the heart and soul of the West.”
Mitchell said the buckle reflects the perseverance and determination that define both Indian Relay competitors and Native communities.
“American Indians embody that ‘grit to rise’ and ‘never give up’ spirit that defines the Western way of life,” she said. “We hope this film inspires these qualities in all of us—that together we can outride any devil. To present this buckle to the winner of the Indian Relay at the WYO Rodeo is one of the greatest honors of my life.”
Mitchell has a longstanding record of advocacy in Indian Country and has contributed to efforts that helped secure federal and state legislation addressing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis.
The rodeo’s history also reflects its longstanding relationship with Native communities. One of its early names, the “Bots Sots Stampede,” was derived from the Crow language, and in 1952 Lucy Yellow Mule, a Crow woman, became one of the first Native American rodeo queens.
“I believe that rodeo is a part of our traditional culture,” said Mo Brings Plenty, a Lakota actor and cultural leader known for his roles in Yellowstone and Marshals, who appears in Outriding the Devil. “Rodeo has played a vital role.”
Brings Plenty noted that Native contributions to rodeo extend far beyond well-known figures such as Jackson Sundown.
“If you look back at the history of Indian Country’s involvement in the rodeo world, there wasn’t just Jackson Sundown, there were others as well,” he said.
The documentary highlights influential Native figures in rodeo history, including Comanche leader Quanah Parker, Cherokee roper and entertainer Will Rogers, and Choctaw Nation citizen Don Gay, an eight-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world champion bull rider.
According to organizers, Outriding the Devil has been praised by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association as “one of the great rodeo movies” and has remained the top-ranked Western documentary on IMDb for nearly a year. The film features rodeo champions, including 10-time world champion Stetson Wright, cast members from Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone universe and country music artist Ned LeDoux. The documentary is currently touring North America with a series of premiere screenings.
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