Photo By Sgt. Trinity Carter | The Fort Carson Mountain Color Guard (FCMCG), position their horses for the 2022...... read more read more
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EL RENO, Oklahoma – The crowd cheers as a Soldier guides their horse into the spacious arena. As they take a deep breath on the back of their horse, the bugle sounds the start of the 2022 National Cavalry Competition. The rider signals the horse to take off as the Soldier and steed work as one to clear multiple hurdles.
The Fort Carson Mounted Color Guard (FCMCG) finished the National Cavalry Competition at the historic, Fort Reno, in El Reno, Okla., Sept. 21-24, 2022. FCMCG has placed second in the National Cavalry Competition out of six groups.
Unlike the competing Fort Irwin or Fort Huachuca cavalry teams, this is the first time the FCMCG cavalry’s current team is competing in the 2022 National Cavalry Competition.
“Many of our Soldiers have never ridden a horse in their life before this assignment. In fact, this team we have now has never performed at a national competition before!” Jimmy Cantwell, the FCMCG trainer says, “This assignment develops a Soldier into becoming the best leader. Not only for other people but mainly for their horse.”
Cantwell describes the position of being a rider as “not easy”. The rider must gain the trust of the horse, which could take months at a time, to then maintain that confidence and respect during a competition.
Pfc. Lydia Hickle, the youngest Soldier at 19-years-old on the FCMCG, has gained the trust of the youngest and most difficult horse on the team, Pfc. Blue Duck.
“Over the past few months, with a lot of patience, I’ve learned a lot about his personality and limits,” Hickle says, “I give him a lot of trust knowing one day he will trust me the same way.”
Fortunately, the struggle between horse and rider didn’t keep the team from being successful at Nationals as Spc. Josh Maldonado and Cpl. Ernesto Ruiz won first place in mule carriage, 1st Lt. Madeline Miller, FCMCG commander, won third place in level one combat horsemanship and Sgt. Vincent Aquino won first place and Cpl. Nicole Wagoner won second place in level three combat horsemanship sections.
Each Soldier must triumph over their own issues when leading their horse. However, one key attribute each Soldier must gain is patience.
“This year our team excelled in patience with their horses,” Miller says, “However, next year we will have more attention to detail so we can come back next year and hopefully win the best team overall!”
This demonstration of patience and confidence they have with their horses has led the FCMCG to finish the 2022 National Cavalry Competition as a winner in the mule carriage team, and level one and three combat horsemanship sections.
| Date Taken: | 09.24.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 10.05.2022 21:38 |
| Story ID: | 430042 |
| Location: | EL RENO, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 120 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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