A fair good time
Something for everyone at Central Navajo fair
ABOVE: Racers cross the finish line in the first of five races at the in Central Navajo Fair Grounds in Chinle, AZ Saturday. BELOW: Six-year-old Tivona Begaye claims a watermelon during the kid's goodie grab before the start of horse races at the in Central Navajo Fair in Chinle, AZ Saturday. — © 2008 Gallup Independent / Cable Hoover

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Karen Francis
Diné Bureau

CHINLE — Some say that horse racing was the first sport on Navajo, and there is no doubt such events were part of early Navajo fairs. Over the weekend, the tradition of horse racing was observed at the Central Navajo Nation Fair with five horse races held each day on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

For one weekend, the track around the rodeo grounds in Chinle became the Tseyi Downs. Saturday’s races included 350 yards for 2-year-old horses, open 350 yards, the 440 yard featured race, 550 yards and seven-furlong distance race.

Between 100 and 200 people milled about waiting for the horse races to begin on Saturday. Though the first race was an hour late, the horses’ speed made up for it as jockeys completed the races with captivated audiences.

People lined up alongside the track as soon as the horses were off. Some had a stake in it as they had made the highest bid for a particular horse to come in first — a practice known as Calcutta to the horse race fans. The winner takes the entire pot of money. Bets on horses went for $30 to $80.

“That’s where the public gets involved — the betting process. It adds excitement,” announcer Ed Begay said.

The history of horse racing goes back a few generations, race organizer Justin Tso said. Eventually, other sports such as rodeo came to the Navajo people, he said.

“As it continued, it came to our time,” he said. The central fair has had horse races annually for 16 years now. Tso has been horse racing for about 33 years. He also competed in a race on Saturday.

“This is the fun part of it. We bring this every year for the people’s enjoyment,” Tso said.

He added that horse races are starting to come back all around the Navajo reservation and are becoming very popular, even being featured in national publications.
“We like to tell the public how important it is to youth, how these young kids want to become jockeys,” Tso said. “It’s a wonderful thing. It has education in it,” he added.

Spectators awaited the races sitting under a shade house on chairs that they brought. Many said that it brought back memories from long ago.

The races reminded Doris Davis of times when she was young.

“But in our younger days, we use to run horses a lot,” Davis said on Saturday.

Now Davis has six horses and said she can probably still race like she did years ago. She said she and her family will be back to watch the races again.

“We love horses,” she said.

“It’s really interesting how people raise their horses to run and how well they take care of them and to see all different breeds and races,” Davis added.

She was at the central with her grandchildren.

“In spite of the weather, we still came out,” she said. Davis ’s family has been involved in rodeo all her life and the hot sun wouldn’t stop her from coming out to see the rodeo and horse races.

The horse races also reminded Shawn Shirley about the tradition of horse races at the fairs.

“Back in the old days, they used to horse race,” he said. “It’s pretty good to watch. It’s something different.”

His grandfather used to horse race and his cousin participates in them now, Shirley said.

Jockey Dakota Smallcanyon, 18, won the first race — the 440 yard for 2-year-olds — riding Feature Hanaesse owned by Parnell Thomas from Montezuma Creek, Utah.

Smallcanyon entered each of the five races for Saturday.
“I just have fun and to stay away from home,” Smallcanyon said explaining why he races horses. “It just feels so good when you come out of the gates.”

In the third race, Noble Merganzer, owned by Nate Smith with Will Tom riding, won the 440 yard featured race against four other horses.

Rraces scheduled for Sunday afternoon included races for 350 yards, 440 yards, half mile, open 4.5 furlongs and a distance race.