This bronze, one of several that Russell modeled during his first visit to Southern California in 1921, depicts a mounted warrior who leans over to examine fresh tracks in the soil. Scantily clad, he holds a long lance against his left arm. His hair is arranged in the Blackfoot fashion, braided and parted with a long, stiffened lock hanging over his forehead. Possibly the warrior is on a scalp or revenge raid, for the Blackfeet sometimes braided the tails of their horses part way and tied the end in a knot with a feather when they were on the warpath. This can be seen on the sculpture, along with a feather hanging from the mane on its forehead—another ritualized decoration sometimes employed in preparation for battle. The four geometric horseshoes visible on the animal’s upper right flank each denote leadership of a war party, which was a notable accomplishment among the Blackfeet. Russell’s refined sense of human and equine anatomy is evident in the subtle yet effective modeling of muscle and bone; indeed, the horse is a superior study of the wiry and sinewy pony that so dominated Plains Indian culture. A plaster model of this sculpture was shown along with five others at the Kanst Art Galleries in March 1921 as part of Russell’s first exhibition in Los Angeles. After the Russells returned to Montana for the summer, Nancy Russell began looking for a foundry to put the plasters into bronze. She had some friends obtain bids from a number of places, but she delayed her decision because she was put off by the prices. Finally, however, she chose Roman Bronze Works and the casting commenced in 1922. The bronze was first exhibited in February of the following year, and a number of casts were subsequently sold.