U.S. Cavalry: A Graduation exercise...

[octagon]

"This event was open to all officers on the post and was a must for all student officers. The total of all one dollar entrance fees was divided among the win, place and show places. In the first phase horses of an indeterminant disposition and unknown to the contestants were tied on the picket line 300 yard from the starting line, with saddles and bridles on the ground behind them. Each contestant ran the 300 yards to the horses, saddled and bridled them, rode down a course of jumps along the Republican River, and to a saber course, which was the second phase. Seizing a saber on the run, he attacked three dummies and then continued on to the pistol range, the third pase. Here he dismounted, took a pistol and fired at a bottle marked with his number at a range of 25 yards untill the bottle was broken. Mounting agaign on any horse, he proceded to the Republican River, forded it, dismounted, and led his horse for a mile to a second ford, mounted, forded again, rode to the foot of Sherman Heights, dismounted, and led it up a steep climb. At the top, he mounted agin, galloped to the rifle range, and again dismounted. Here he seized a rifle, fired at a bottle marked with his number at a range of 100 yards until it was broken, when he mounted agin and rode to the finish line. Penalties were awarded for failure to break bottles, missed jumps, or missed saber dummies. It was a grueling course. " From: "Twilight of the U.S. Cavalry, Life in the Old Army 1917-1942, by General Lucian Truscott (Grandpa).

[Doc Hudson]

Most interesting and it should have been most entertaining to spectators, especially the saddling part. it porobably produced some pretty impressive kicking, bucking, and biting. Not to mention some champion class cussing.

[donw]

my dad was in the cavalry...ft sill Okla, 1932 and in the panama canal zone until 1938...so was my now deceased, ex-father-in-law, 1922...they told some very interesting stories about their days in the horse cavalry...i as a kid at Ft Riley remember seeing horse cavalry in the 40's...

[Hillbilly]

Sounds like they knew how to make men "men" back then.

I won't take anything away from todays GI's and Marines...after all they work with one hand behind the back serving under the modern "Power-point" officers we product in the modern world. But the "Crucible" and "Gauntlet"-style BT wrap up would be a lot more intersting if the "winners" took a cut of "pooled" money at the end of the day.

[Doc Hudson]

Sounds like they knew how to make men "men" back then.

I won't take anything away from todays GI's and Marines...after all they work with one hand behind the back serving under the modern "Power-point" officers we product in the modern world. But the "Crucible" and "Gauntlet"-style BT wrap up would be a lot more intersting if the "winners" took a cut of "pooled" money at the end of the day.

Sure our modern GI's have lots of high tech stuff to work with and work on, and they have to worry about a steady supply of batteries and electricity as well ans a good ammo supply.

But I'd rather fight with a recalcitrant computer than have to fight with an Artillery Mule!

[Bruce Scott]

Interesting post. Were any US Cavalry units deployed to France in WWI ?

[pokey]

But I'd rather fight with a recalcitrant computer than have to fight with an Artillery Mule!

boy, not me. give me the mule any day.

i'm an analog guy in a digital world.

[Doc Hudson]

But I'd rather fight with a recalcitrant computer than have to fight with an Artillery Mule!

boy, not me. give me the mule any day.

i'm an analog guy in a digital world.

You apparently have not heard some of the stories about Army mules that I've heard.

Confusers will make you crazy, but they don't bite, stomp, or kick. Though both will balk on you. you also don't have to curry a computer or muck out behind it.

[BlueStateSaint]

Having been in two of the (then) ACRs in my time in the Army, it's interesting to hear about what life was like in the horse cav. Thanks for the perspective--not sure if I could have actually done this course . . .

[GonnePhishin]

octagon,

Great information on the calvary contest. That sounded like a hell of a contest!!

[Old Savage]

Here is a video - there are others there with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apOz6wO1hFs

[Beaker]

If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend you stop and see the US Cavalry musem at Fort Riley, just outside of Junction City, KS off of I-70. It is well worth the visit. The 1st. Infantry division musem is there too as fort Riley is home to the Famed Big Red 1. and the Esienhour musem is just down the road in Abileine too.