Sports
Despite injury, JonMarc Skunkcap returns to Indian Relay racing
JonMarc Skunkcap wins during a heat at the Shoshone-Bannock Festival Indian Relay races.
By YVONNE WARJACK
Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL — Twenty-three years after he first began riding, JonMarc Skunkcap was once again aboard his horses and racing before family, friends and spectators, marking his return to Indian Relay following a life-changing injury and months of recovery.
He began riding at age 11, returned to competition this season after initially considering retirement. His decision to race came only about a week beforehand, giving him time for one practice working on exchanges with his horses. “I wasn’t even gonna ride this year,” Skunkcap said. “I just decided to ride, like, a week ago, and I did one practice with the horses, exchanges, and it turned out pretty good.”
His return also brought him back onto the track alongside his brother, while his children are beginning to follow the family’s path into horse racing. “I love bringing my family together,” he said.
The return carried added significance following a serious incident at the fair that resulted in Skunkcap being hospitalized. He initially went to the hospital to have his head examined, but after undergoing a scan, he awoke to learn that emergency surgery was necessary. He spent nine days in the hospital following surgery. The experience led him to consider stepping away from racing, and another rider competed with his horses for much of the season while he recovered. “I didn’t think I was gonna race, too,” he said. “I was planning on maybe retiring.”
Instead, Skunkcap returned to the track and resumed the sport that has been part of his life since childhood. “I made it through the toughest times of my life,” he said. “It just feels good to be here right now, walking around, with my kids, riding horses.”
His comeback season has included a victory in the Bannock Warrior Challenge, adding another accomplishment to his 23 years of riding. He also earned a race victory during the recent competition. Behind each race are hours spent caring for his horses.
Skunkcap said that after work, he continues his routine of feeding and tending to them in preparation for competition. “That’s why I do this,” he said. “Every day after work, I go take care of my horses and feed them.”
The next generation of the Skunkcap family is becoming involved as well. His children are racing, and Skunkcap has begun teaching them the skills he has developed through more than two decades around horses. He said his son could begin helping him jog horses as early as next year, with the possibility of eventually entering a Little Chief race.
The cheers from spectators and support from family have also accompanied Skunkcap’s return. “It feels really good,” he said of hearing the crowd call his name. “I represent my family.” Following his recovery, Skunkcap plans to continue racing and is considering additional competitions, including Burley. His return has brought him back alongside his horses, brother and children as the family continues its involvement in racing.
He also shared a message centered on sobriety, perseverance, prayer and family. “All you need is family,” he said. “You don’t need no drugs, no alcohol. Always keep on going, keep your head up, no matter what, and never give up.”
In addition, he encouraged others to remain close to the Creator and continue forward through difficult times. “Always believe in the Creator,” Skunkcap said. “Always keep close with the Creator and pray all the time.” From emergency surgery and nine days in the hospital to returning to Indian Relay, winning the Bannock Warrior Challenge and watching his children begin their own racing journeys, Skunkcap’s 2026 season marks another chapter in a riding career that began at age 11. With his family alongside him, he continues racing while helping introduce the next generation to the horses and traditions that have remained part of his life for more than two decades.
Poitras Relay team rider 'Jumpin' Joe' Jackson: Horses to remain a part of my life
Joe Jackson, for Poitras Relay, wins a heat during the Shoshone-Bannock Festival Indian
Relay races; the team won the championship race on August 9, 2026.
By YVONNE WARJACK
Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL — At 20 years old, Joseph “Jumpin’ Joe” Jackson has already spent half his life horseback and nearly a decade competing in Indian Relay, carrying lessons learned from family, years of racing experience and plans for a future that will continue to include horses.
Jackson traveled from Canada to Fort Hall for his first appearance at the Shoshone-Bannock Indian Festival, adding another destination to a racing journey that has taken him to relay events at Muckleshoot, Casper, Wyoming, and Crow Agency. His connection with horses began long before he entered the relay track. Jackson said he began riding when he was 10 years old, learning from family members in Goodfish Lake, including Corey Jackson, Sam Buckskin and Sam Hool. Those early years around horses eventually led him into Indian Relay racing, a sport he has now competed in for nine years.
This season brought Jackson and his team south to Fort Hall for the first time. The journey took approximately two days, requiring careful planning for both the racers and the horses. Although Jackson does not currently own horses himself, he races with a stable that has 22 horses in total, including 18 thoroughbreds used for racing. Caring for those horses remains a priority as the team travels from one competition to another. “We put our horses first more than anything,” Jackson said. That consideration also plays a role in deciding which races the team will attend. Jackson said competing at the Eastern Idaho State Fair is something he would like to experience in the future, but the distance from home and the demands of another major race scheduled around the same time make the trip difficult for the horses.
For now, Jackson and his team are preparing to continue their season, with upcoming racing expected in southern Alberta followed by the River Cree Cup, a major relay event with a purse of approximately $200,000. While relay continues to take Jackson across long stretches of country, his plans extend beyond the racetrack.
A 2024 high school graduate, Jackson has been out of school for two years and is preparing to take another step by pursuing post-secondary education for the first time. He has applied to begin a welding program and is waiting to hear back about acceptance. “I want to start my degree in welding,” Jackson said. “I wanna be a welder.”
After relay season, he plans to return home, pursue school and spend time outdoors. Hunting is another important part of his life, and he hopes to do guiding work during the winter. Even as he begins considering education, a career and life beyond competing, Jackson does not expect horses to disappear from his future. “I want to be a part of horse racing for the rest of my life,” he said. “I want to own my own team one day, if not, part ownership with somebody.”
The goal represents a transition from being the young rider who first climbed onto a horse at age 10 to eventually taking responsibility for a racing operation of his own. Whether competing, owning a team or sharing ownership, Jackson said horses will remain part of his life. “Horses will always be a part of my life,” he said.
His first trip to Fort Hall also introduced Jackson to another relay community and another track as teams, horses, families and spectators gathered during the Festival. Following the long trip south, Jackson said his team intends to return.
