Give Away!

It's time for the first give away of 2023! I don't know yet what the prize will be, but I have several things in mind. Of course, it will be horse related.

Here's how to enter: Take a look at this photo of four mounted dragoons getting into start position with the band for a parade. One of those riders is me. But which one?

1           2           3           4

The riders are numbered 1 through 4 from left to right. To enter your guess, go to the comments and write the number you think I am. Be sure to include your name or your initials. You can also send your guess via email to horsiemama8@gmail.com.

I will do a drawing from all the correct answers either Wednesday or Thursday of next week and announce the winner here on the blog.

Entries close on Tuesday night (March 21) at 11:59 PM. Only one entry per person.

Good luck, everyone!

The Harrison High School Dragoons

When I was a teenager, I attended William Henry Harrison High School, a brand new high school located two miles from the site of The Battle of Tippecanoe and named after the man who had led the American forces in the fight.

Given free rein to choose new uniforms for the new school, the band director selected military uniforms. These were highly unusual for the time as other band uniforms in the 1970s were basically a jacket, matching pants, a brimmed hat with a plume, and spats. As a result, our band really stood out in parades and at events as a result.

Another eye-catcher for us were our dragoons. Historically, dragoons were a mounted infantry who went into battle on horseback but dismounted to actually fight. Continuing the military theme, our band director decided to have a mounted cavalry as part of its marching band presentation. Since it was a rural high school, finding band members with horses was no problem.

I played the flute in the band, but when we were marching and bringing the dragoons along, I got to ride!

This is my Quarter Horse, Cee Hunt and me getting ready to march. (Any other model collectors think he looks like a Breyer Lady Phase in this photo?)

Written on the back of the photo was that it was 1974 and we were marching at a rally in Battle Ground, the town that grew up around the battle site. The group in red jackets were from Washington, DC and called "The Olde Guard."

I don't remember anything else about this particular march, but it had to have been something pretty special for a group from Washington, DC to fly to and participate in!

Eventually, we all were given saddle blankets like these; mine is still in my tack trunk. At this time I did not yet have mine so I used my show blanket. (I still have all the tack that is on Cee; it's stored out at the barn in the tack room.)

I have been trying to reconnect with others who rode in the Harrison Dragoons with me, but have not had much luck yet. Hopefully I will be able to write another blog entry with more pictures and information soon.

I still count myself as lucky to have had such a unique opportunity!