“Gayly bedecked carriages and horses carrying garlands of roses” attracted everyone’s attention in the first Tournament of Roses Parade, reported the Los Angeles Times in 1890. All these decades later, equestrian units continue to play an important part of the celebration.
Here’s a look at the origins and history of five of the horse units appearing in the 2024 parade:
Buffalo bikers
There will be one rather curious equestrian unit in this year’s parade that will include a bunch of riders on two wheels rather than four feet.
They are the Iron Riders, a group that will honor the 125th anniversary of a little-remembered 1,900-mile odyssey by volunteer African Americans to test the feasibility of the military using bicycles instead of horses.
They will be part of the entry of the New Buffalo Soldiers equestrian unit that, for many years, has ridden in the parade to celebrate the historic achievements of African American soldiers in the Old West.
The bicycle unit honors the trek by 22 members of the 25th Infantry Regiment Bicycle Corps that began June 14, 1897, in Missoula, Montana, and reached St. Louis, Missouri, after 41 days of dealing with poor roads and difficult weather. Despite their achievement, the military decided against using bicycles for its purposes.
Just as the New Buffalo Soldiers — formally Company H, 10th Cavalry — keep their uniforms and horse gear authentic to the 19th century, bicyclists in the parade will be using authentically historical types of bicycles, all without any gears.
Two of the bicycle riders, who have previously ridden in the parade with the New Buffalo Soldiers, can trace their genealogy back to the actual Buffalo Soldiers of the Old West.
• See related: Rose Parade 2024 survival guide: What you need to know before you go
Marine mustangs
The four-footed participants in the United States Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard have traveled a long way in order to serve as the leadoff equestrian unit in this…
Read the full article here
