Ride On! Rose Parade Riders and Horses Mount Spectacular Show at Pre-Parade Equestfest

Before an appreciative packed crowd of equestrian enthusiasts Friday, more than a dozen participating horse units from Washington D.C. to Greenwood Village, Colorado to Compton, California displayed their skills in drill, dances, and trick riding at the 33rd annual Equestfest held in conjunction with the 135th Rose Parade.

The event was staged in Burbank at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.

As they will do on Monday morning,  2024 Tournament of Roses President Alex Aghajanian and the Royal Court—Queen Naomi Stillitano, and princesses Olivia Bohanec, Trinity Dela Cruz, Phoebe Ho, Mia Moore-Walker, Jessica Powell and Emmerson Tucker—kicked off the event as they rode into the main arena at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, accompanied by Long Beach Mounted Police, The New Buffalo Soldiers, and the Kings County Sheriff’s Posse.

“Equestrian units like this are the roots of the Parade,” President Aghajanian said.

President Aghajanian talked about his own horse history, saying that as a young boy, he owned an Arabian horse, while his sister owned a quarter horse, and the two “would ride all the time.”

The two rode their horses in Pasadena as well at a farm the family owned in Fresno, he said.

At least two of the members of the Royal Court also revealed their love for horses, as Olivia Bohanec explained that her great-grandparents were some of the first Charros in the early Rose Parades.

“I always grew up with horses,” she added,  “and my grandma grew up with horses, so they mean a lot to me.”

“Watching the parade every year,” said Emmerson Tucker, “my two favorite things were the princesses and the equestrian units, so I loved seeing them every year, the saddles on the horses, the glitter, the flowers, it was all so great.”

Tucker also revealed that she may have “met the love of my horse life. His name is Prince and he is just such a sweetheart,” she gushed.

The spectacle was marked by a variety of attractions, including the firing of cannons, acrobatic leaps over hurdles, the bursting of balloons, and a special guest appearance by none other than Smokey the Bear.

The event was not just about the equestrian performances, which included meticulously coordinated drills, breathtaking trick riding feats, captivating dance numbers, and impressive displays of roping expertise. It also featured live music and a marketplace that was open to visitors before and after the show

Guests were thrilled by the Norco Cowgirls Drill Team, who performed routines and runs in tight formation, as well as long sprints; the Victorian Roses Ladies Riding Society, who commanded both horses and carriages in their performance, as well as exciting barrel racing by the Cal Poly SLO Rodeo Team.

Local favorites, the Compton Cowboys, closed the show with their own impressive riding, just before a dazzling all-cast final parade through the arena.

The following equestrienne units participated:

The 1st Cavalry Division Horse Cavalry Detachment; Arabian Horse Association Versatile Arabians; Blue Shadows Mounted Drill Team; California Cowgirls Rodeo Drill Team; Kings County Sheriff’s Posse; Long Beach Mounted Police; Los Hermanos Banuelos Charro Team; Orange County Regional Mounted Enforcement Unit/Western States Mounted Officers Association; Painted Ladies Rodeo Performers; Scripps Miramar Ranch; Silver Spurs Riding Club Quadrille; Spirit of the West Riders; The New Buffalo Soldiers; The Norco Cowgirls Rodeo Drill Team; United States Forest Service – Smokey Bear’s 80th Birthday Celebration; United States Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard; Victorian Roses Ladies Riding Society.