Riderless horse

For the Nina Nastasia album, see Riderless Horse (album).

The riderless horse named Sergeant York, during the funeral procession for the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, with President Reagan's boots reversed in the stirrups.

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 fallen soldiers, fallen police officers or deceased equestrian athletes. ^[2] A motorcycle can be used as a substitute for a horse though such practice is very rare. ^{[3] [4]}

History

Riderless jousting horse of Albert VII, Archduke of Austria in his funeral procession, 1623 (etching with hand coloring by Jacob Franquart)

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

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

Black Jack in John F. Kennedy's funeral procession

A notable riderless horse was "Black Jack," 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]}

Black Jack was foaled January 19, 1947, and came to Fort Myer from Fort Reno, Oklahoma, on November 22, 1952. Black Jack was the last of the Quartermaster-issue horses branded with the Army's U.S. brand (on the left shoulder) and his Army serial number 2V56 (on the left side of his neck). He died on February 6, 1976, and was buried on the parade ground of Fort Myer's Summerall Field with full military honors, one of only four US Army horses to be given that honor, along with Chief, the US Army's last living operational cavalry mount at the time of his death, Sergeant Reckless, a highly-decorated packhorse who served with the Recoilless Rifle Platoon, Anti-Tank Company, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division in the Korean War, and Comanche, one of the only survivors of the Battle of Little Bighorn. ^[12]

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. ^[13]

Sergeant York

"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. ^[14]

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

• Honor guard
• Military funeral
• Military rites
• Missing man formation
• State funeral

References

1. 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.
2. "Walt Keever gets a send off to the 'great rodeo in the sky'". Sparta Independent. 29 September 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
3. @TorontoPolice (September 21, 2022). "The Riderless Motorcycle. Fallen Officer Andrew Hong looks back one last time at his fellow @TrafficServices @TPSMotorSquad Photos and videos periodically updated at http://linktr.ee/AndrewHong #HM19" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
4. "'Long 3 years': Trial to start in deaths of 7 motorcyclists". San Diego Union Tribune. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
5. Chernow, Ron (2004). Alexander Hamilton . New York: Penguin Press. pp.  710–712. ISBN   978-1-59420-009-0.
6. "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.
7. "Ceremonial Customs: The lone charger". Australian War Memorial. 2019.
8. Knuckle, Robert (2002). Black Jack: America's famous riderless horse. General Store Publishing House. p. 4. ISBN   9781894263658.
9. "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.
10. "The Old Guard – Caisson Platoon". Army.mil. Archived from the original on 2010-02-28. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
11. Barakat, Matthew, "Riderless horse will symbolize the nation's mourning", Daily Breeze , Torrance, California, June 9, 2004. pg. A.10.
12. Belcher, Nancy Hoyt, "Arlington Cemetery, Fort Myer pay homage to the military", The Record , Bergen County, N.J.: April 6, 2003. p. T.03.
13. 1979: Mountbatten buried after final parade
14. "Sgt. York's Solemn Trek". Daily News. New York.