| All rights reserved. |
Dakota Hills Horse Company
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
Backyard Horses Become Olympic Contenders
Lived by (and Written by) Chris Juhasz
Lived by (and Written by) Chris Juhasz
Since I did not have a horse that year, I borrowed Shannie, a 14.1 Arabian mare with the
choppiest gaits imaginable. Come to think of it, she had two gaits: sewing machine trot and
flat-out gallop. Once a week I would travel with the other drill team member, rain or shine, to the
practice arena outside of LaMoure.
I come from a classic dressage background, and have several years of eventing under my belt
as well. While I had little experience in a Western saddle, I did have the skills the drill team
thought necessary in their desperate circumstances; I could get the horse to go, stop, and steer.
I religiously showed up for weekly practice and in time found myself humming along with the
country music, riding lines and circles with a partner, and a miraculously surviving a
thread-the-needle exercise at a full gallop.
Our big debut finally arrived. All sixteen of us were decked out in matching jeans, vests, and
cowboy hats. The hours we spent practicing were to pay off as we astounded the spectators
with our precision and breathtaking maneuvers. At the last minute our drill team leader decided
all of our horses should have matching legs -- a potentially classic effect -- I thought,
remembering elegant dressage horses with white polo wraps warming up for Grand Prix
dressage classes. Indeed, I had visions of polo wraps or VetwrapTM that would adorn our
horses' legs. Imagine my surprise when our leader produced six bags from
JCPenney's........filled with men's tube socks!
With visions of the Spanish Riding Schools's Lippizans in our heads, the members were quite
enthusiastic to use the makeshift leg wraps. Everyone pitched in to cut the toes from the tube
socks so we could slide them easily over our horses' legs minutes before we were scheduled
to perform.
We lined up excitedly for our grand entry, sixteen matching horses and riders ready to show the
spectators the performance of a lifetime. "The Star Spangled Banner" erupted in the
background, and it was showtime! We galloped in flawlessly, our months of hard work put to the
test.
choppiest gaits imaginable. Come to think of it, she had two gaits: sewing machine trot and
flat-out gallop. Once a week I would travel with the other drill team member, rain or shine, to the
practice arena outside of LaMoure.
I come from a classic dressage background, and have several years of eventing under my belt
as well. While I had little experience in a Western saddle, I did have the skills the drill team
thought necessary in their desperate circumstances; I could get the horse to go, stop, and steer.
I religiously showed up for weekly practice and in time found myself humming along with the
country music, riding lines and circles with a partner, and a miraculously surviving a
thread-the-needle exercise at a full gallop.
Our big debut finally arrived. All sixteen of us were decked out in matching jeans, vests, and
cowboy hats. The hours we spent practicing were to pay off as we astounded the spectators
with our precision and breathtaking maneuvers. At the last minute our drill team leader decided
all of our horses should have matching legs -- a potentially classic effect -- I thought,
remembering elegant dressage horses with white polo wraps warming up for Grand Prix
dressage classes. Indeed, I had visions of polo wraps or VetwrapTM that would adorn our
horses' legs. Imagine my surprise when our leader produced six bags from
JCPenney's........filled with men's tube socks!
With visions of the Spanish Riding Schools's Lippizans in our heads, the members were quite
enthusiastic to use the makeshift leg wraps. Everyone pitched in to cut the toes from the tube
socks so we could slide them easily over our horses' legs minutes before we were scheduled
to perform.
We lined up excitedly for our grand entry, sixteen matching horses and riders ready to show the
spectators the performance of a lifetime. "The Star Spangled Banner" erupted in the
background, and it was showtime! We galloped in flawlessly, our months of hard work put to the
test.
After our initial gallop and turn up the center of the arena, what should have been a touching
moment turned comedic. We were supposed to gallop rhythmic circles to "Proud to be and
American." However, we had no contingency plan for the tube socks flying off our horses' legs
and raining all over the arena. The spectators and half the drill team were in hysterics as our
horses performed airs-above-the-ground the Carol Lavell and Michelle Gibson would be proud
of! The white, horse eating socks had transformed half of our backyard horses into Grand Prix
level movers, with a piaffe and passage we would be proud to bring to the Pan Am games. The
other half of the horses became slider and spinners that would turn Roberta McCarty and
Barbara Williams green with envy.
We managed to complete our drill, despite the ad-libbed airs-above-the-ground, stops, and
spins. Unfortunately, the USET was not there to pick any or all of us for the 2000 Olympics.
The next day, I did catch a glimpse of "The LaMoure County Chronicle," the local paper serving
the 763 person town: "LaMoure County Rough Riders Drill Team 'Sock It' to Audience.
Performance Best in History." It may be too late for the 2000 Olympics, but 2004 isn't too far
away!
moment turned comedic. We were supposed to gallop rhythmic circles to "Proud to be and
American." However, we had no contingency plan for the tube socks flying off our horses' legs
and raining all over the arena. The spectators and half the drill team were in hysterics as our
horses performed airs-above-the-ground the Carol Lavell and Michelle Gibson would be proud
of! The white, horse eating socks had transformed half of our backyard horses into Grand Prix
level movers, with a piaffe and passage we would be proud to bring to the Pan Am games. The
other half of the horses became slider and spinners that would turn Roberta McCarty and
Barbara Williams green with envy.
We managed to complete our drill, despite the ad-libbed airs-above-the-ground, stops, and
spins. Unfortunately, the USET was not there to pick any or all of us for the 2000 Olympics.
The next day, I did catch a glimpse of "The LaMoure County Chronicle," the local paper serving
the 763 person town: "LaMoure County Rough Riders Drill Team 'Sock It' to Audience.
Performance Best in History." It may be too late for the 2000 Olympics, but 2004 isn't too far
away!
In 1993, I had the unique opportunity to ride with the LaMoure County Rough Riders Drill Team.
The team originated fourteen years earlier in LaMoure, North Dakota, population 763, and each
year would rehearse for months before a performance at the summer show. Fifteen of the riders
were from LaMoure County, and they were in need of a sixteenth rider. Enter myself.
The team originated fourteen years earlier in LaMoure, North Dakota, population 763, and each
year would rehearse for months before a performance at the summer show. Fifteen of the riders
were from LaMoure County, and they were in need of a sixteenth rider. Enter myself.
