Early one summer in the 1690's a large band of Assiniboine Indians were camped on the Assiniboine River bank, west of the present -day site of Headingly. The chief of the Assiniboines had a beautiful daughter and to his teepee came two young chieftans asking for her hand in marriage.
One of the chieftans was a Cree from north of the Assiniboine and the other was a Sioux chieftan from Devil's Lake (North Dakota). The Cree, however, was the favoured choice, for he had to offer in exchange for his bride, a coveted prize of the prairies, a white horse. This horse was as white as the winter snow, a "Blanco Diablo" which came from a famous breed in Mexico the white steed was as swift as the wind, strong and sturdy, and could outrun any other horse. It was said that this horse would go three or four days without food or water and outlast all other horses pitted against him.
This gift of a white horse was irresistible and the Indian maiden was promised to the Cree chieftain. But some of the Assiniboines disliked this alliance with a Cree. The medicine man was encouraged to use his magical powers to strengthen a dislike of the Crees. The Assiniboine had memories of Cree war parties with Assiniboine scalps flying in the wind.
The marriage was planned for a time when it was known that the Sioux chieftan would be far away on a war expedition, but the planners did not count on the sorcery of the medicine man. Secretly the medicine man sent the young Sioux word of the impending marriage.
When the day for the ceremony came, the bridegroom arrived from the lake region dressed in his gorgeous trappings of chiefdom. Mounted on a fine grey steed, he led the beautiful white horse, loaded with additional presents for his new father-in-law.
Just before the marriage ceremonies were about to begin, a large cloud of dust was seen on the he horizon. The angry Sioux chieftan was fast approaching across the prairie, intent on revenge.
There was no time to waste. The Assiniboine chief handed his daughter the white horse and her bridegroom quickly helped her mount. He hastily called for his tethered grey steed and in a flash they were away, with the Sioux party in pursuit.
Even the precious time gained in their early start and the swift pace of their fleeing ponies could not save the fleeing couple. They doubled back on their tracks to mislead their pursuers. They hid in patches of bush along the river to rest their mounts but once out in the open plain, the white horse was the mark that revealed them.
For miles they sped over the plain, crossing and recrossing the river in order to lose their pursuers. The frightened maiden held back her white horse to that of the Cree's grey steed, and the Sioux gained on them.
Finally, on the bank of the Assiniboine, the avenging arrows of the Sioux found their mark, piercing the hearts of the fleeing couple. The grey steed was captured, but the white horse escaped and raced deep into the woods.
Many an attempt was made to capture the prize white horse, but all failed. For years the white horse roamed the plains. The Indians became frightened to approach it, believing that the soul of the Indian maiden had passed into its body. As the years passed, many told of seeing the ghostly form of the white horse in its wanderings. The belief grew that indeed the white horse was a ghost that would continue to roam the prairies in remembrance of the beautiful Indian maiden.
Last Modified 8/7/97 - Audrey Arnal