Horse Clan Gallops Away with the Championship

Photo by Colton Sierra '14. Copyright Red Cloud Indian School.

Horse Clan Gallops Away with the Championship

By Colton Sierra ‘14

The eldest of the three handgame teams, Horse Clan, came close to disappointment last Friday. Horse Clan had the upper hand in confidence, but the Pine Ridge handgame team rolled past them in the first championship game. Fortunately, it wasn’t over and the two teams faced off in the rubber match in which Horse Clan quickly prevailed.

“Uh-oh,” said sponsor Andrew Herman. “It was a fast loss. But it was a huge sigh of relief when we beat them just as quick.” Handgame matches can go all night, or for a very long time, but Horse Clan defeated the Pine Ridge team in an estimated five minutes.

“We wanted to really beat these guys,” said team member Aaron Thompson ‘15. “After we beat them in the second game, I knew the first game was a fluke.” Thompson delivered very well in the last game and was a factor to their win along with his fellow junior Austin Big Crow and the two freshmen, Almadon Swalley and Casey Bear Robe.

“It was a slow day waiting for championship,” continued Thompson. “But that’s what I want for the rest of the powwows. We want to dominate and win the overall championship.”

Horse Clan faced and defeated three teams without difficulty before the championship round. The team consisted of senior Colton Sierra, juniors Aaron Thompson and Austin Big Crow, sophomore Britni Iron, and freshmen Almadon Swalley and Casey Bear Robe. Three other team members were unable to attend the powwow that day.

The whole team was big contributors in each of the games that day and took home the championship in a timely manner. On the trip home, Big Crow played “We Are The Champions” by Queen and they all sang along.

Support the Handgame Teams at the next Powwow in Porcupine on February 28th.