Riderless horse
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A riderless horse is a single horse without a rider and with boots reversed in the stirrups, which sometimes accompanies a funeral procession. The horse, sometimes caparisoned in black, follows the caisson carrying the casket.[1] A riderless horse can also be featured in parades (military, police or civilian) to symbolize either deceased soldiers, police officers or equestrian athletes.[2] A motorcycle can be used as a substitute for a horse. The motorcycle variant can be also used to symbolize deceased motorcyclists.[3][4]
History
United States
In the United States, the riderless horse is part of funerals with military honors given to Army or Marine Corps officers at the rank of colonel or above, as well as funerals of presidents, who served as commander in chief.[1]
Alexander Hamilton, who was Secretary of the Treasury (1789–1795) was the first American to be given the honor. Historian Ron Chernow noted that Hamilton's gray horse followed the casket "with the boots and spurs of its former rider reversed in the stirrups."[5]
Abraham Lincoln, who was assassinated in 1865, was the first president of the United States to be officially honored by the inclusion of a caparisoned horse in his funeral cortege,[1] although a letter from George Washington's personal secretary recorded the president's horse was part of the president's funeral, carrying his saddle, pistols, and holsters.[6]
Australia
In Australia, a riderless horse known as the 'Lone Charger' sometimes leads the annual Anzac Day marches.[7]
Notable horses
Old Bob
Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". In 1865, Abraham Lincoln was honored by the inclusion of a riderless horse at his funeral. When Lincoln's funeral train reached Springfield, Illinois, his horse, Old Bob, who was draped in a black mourning blanket, followed the procession and led mourners to Lincoln's burial spot.[8]
Black Jack
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Black Jack was a half-Morgan named for General of the Armies John "Black Jack" Pershing. Black Jack took part in the state funerals of Presidents John F. Kennedy (1963),[9] Herbert Hoover (1964), and Lyndon Johnson (1973), and General of the Army Douglas MacArthur (1964).[10][11]
Dolly
"Dolly" was the 22 year old charger (whose official name was Octave) of Admiral of the Fleet The Earl Mountbatten of Burma in his capacity as Colonel of the Life Guards. Following the assassination of Lord Mountbatten by the IRA in Mullaghmore, Dolly served as the riderless horse in the funeral procession being led ahead the head of the gun carriage with the Lord Mountbatten's boots (from his Colonel's uniform) reversed in the stirrups on 5 September 1979.[12]
Sergeant York
Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". Sergeant York was formerly known as "Allaboard Jules", a racing standardbred gelding. He was renamed (in honor of famous WWI soldier Alvin C. York) when he was accepted into the military in 1997. He served as the riderless horse in President Ronald Reagan's funeral procession, walking behind the caisson bearing Reagan's flag-draped casket. In the stirrups were President Reagan's personal riding boots.[13]
He was foaled in 1991, sired by Royce and out of the mare Amtrak Collins sired by Computer. He is a descendant of the great standardbred racing stallions Albatross, Tar Heel and Adios.
See also
References
- ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.John D. Banusiewicz. "Customs of Military Funerals Reflect History, Tradition". United States Department of Defense. American Forces Press Service. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Walt Keever gets a send off to the 'great rodeo in the sky'". Sparta Independent. 29 September 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
- ^ Script error: No such module "cite tweet".
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."'Long 3 years': Trial to start in deaths of 7 motorcyclists". San Diego Union Tribune. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Chernow, Ron (2004). Alexander Hamilton. New York: Penguin Press. pp. 710–712. ISBN 978-1-59420-009-0.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Arlington's Ceremonial Horses and Funerals at the White House" (PDF). White House History.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 June 2010. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Ceremonial Customs: The lone charger". Australian War Memorial. 2019.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Knuckle, Robert (2002). Black Jack: America's famous riderless horse. General Store Publishing House. p. 4. ISBN 9781894263658.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The Last Salute: Civil and Military Funeral, 1921–1969 – Chapter 23 – The Last Salute". history.army.mil. 24 May 2005. Archived from the original on 8 June 2010. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The Old Guard – Caisson Platoon". Army.mil. Archived from the original on 2010-02-28. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
- ^ Barakat, Matthew, "Riderless horse will symbolize the nation's mourning", Daily Breeze, Torrance, California, June 9, 2004. pg. A.10.
- ^ 1979: Mountbatten buried after final parade
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Sgt. York's Solemn Trek". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on June 6, 2012.
