Posse Practice
My oldest three children are members of the Grimes County Jr. Deputy Sheriff’s Mounted Posse. This weekend they will ride in the grand entry to start off the rodeos on Saturday and Sunday. The Posse has been meeting about every other week for practice. This is something that my husband does with the kids. I usually stay home with the youngest members of our family. But since this was the last practice before the performance, I decided to go.
Kyla and Jake practicing their entrance.
Kyla and Jake begin the performance. Kyla will be holding the Texas flag and Jake will be holding the American flag. Music plays while they walk into position in the center of the rodeo arena.
Meanwhile, the other older riders take their positions on either side of the arena. When the music changes to “In God We Still Trust” by Diamond Rio, these riders immediately go into a lope and stay in a lope while doing various formations. Clayton is one of these riders. He rides his horse, Roxie, and together they have learned to do these fast exercises. He does a great job weaving between other riders and around his brother and sister standing in the middle of the arena.
Clayton and Roxie at a lope with Kyla in the background.
They do figure eights and split into two circles moving in opposite directions. Then they come to a standstill resting for the big finale. The song ends and the “Star Spangled Banner” begins. Eight riders form a circle in the middle of the arena with their horses’ butts together. These riders are all holding flags. Two have POW/MIA flags, two have Posse flags, two have Texas flags, and two have the American flag. As the song plays, they leave at a gallop two by two. They have so coordinated the music with their moves that the last two riders who are holding the American flags exit at the end and, in my opinion, the climax of our national anthem. It is very stirring.
I am so glad that my children were able to experience being members of the Posse. They had many opportunities to ride in all different terrains and conditions. They made friends with other horse-loving children. They also developed closer relationships to their horses. The Posse might not have taught them to better horseman (and woman), but it certainly gave them activities in which to grow in their horsemanship ability.
Isaac and Andrew riding their horses at Posse practice.
I hope that this organization will continue in the years to come because I have two other boys who also love horses and would love to join the Posse. They are already practicing on their stick horses, although Andrew needs to learn to take better care of his horse. I am quite sure that the head is supposed to be up, instead of being drug through the dirt.
I look forward to watching the performances with the flags and the matching uniforms. I am confident that they will do a great job representing Grimes County. In addition, my children also know that they are representing Cross Creek Cattle Company. We have no doubt that they will make us proud.
Tags: grand entry, Grimes County Mounted Posse, rodeo, stick horses
