A special moment in the inaugural parade....

Austin Chandler has ridden horses since he was a toddler, and Jan. 20 he'll make an unforgettable ride.
Chandler, 16, is among 77 members of Culver Military Academy's all-male Black Horse Troop who will ride in the parade. "We all had a pit in our stomachs wondering if we would make it because 1,400 groups applied (to be in the parade) and only 49 got in," said Chandler, Whitestown, who attended Shamrock Springs Elementary in Westfield and Zionsville Middle School.

Culver, 100 miles north of Indianapolis, is a boarding school that offers college-preparatory curriculum for boys and girls in Grades 9-12. Its Black Horse Troop is the largest mounted cavalry unit in the United States, according to the school's Web site.

The troop's involvement in presidential inaugurals began when President Woodrow Wilson took office in 1913. It also appeared at his second inauguration in 1917.
The troop made its third appearance during President Dwight D. Eisenhower's second inaugural in 1957, then participated in every inaugural parade through 1989. It returned to the parade in 1997.

The Black Horse Troop and its female counterpart, the Equestriennes, make up the best riders at Culver Military Academy and Culver Girls Academy, according to a school news release. Twenty-three girls will ride in the parade, too. All those in the inaugural event must maintain good academic standing and citizenship while demonstrating proficiency in equitation.
"We were thrilled," Chandler said about the troop's attitude upon hearing it would travel to the U.S. capital. "We went from doing our normal practices to now knowing that we really have to concentrate" on riding drills.

At age 13, Chandler got an invitation to play polo with Culver's varsity team, and soon after he received a scholarship to play the sport at the school.
"I didn't know what the heck I was getting into," he said. "Finally, I said, 'I've started it, and I'm going to finish it.' "

Chandler, a junior, is a regimental color sergeant major. That puts him in command of the school's color guard.
In less than three weeks, he'll be on the front line during the inaugural parade riding a horse named Cherokee and carrying a flag representing Troop A of the Black Horse Troop.
Chandler's mother, Donna Chandler, said the thought of her son being a part of history brings tears to her eyes.
"This is something that will affect the rest of his life," she said. "We (she and husband, Greg) get goose bumps just thinking about this."

Chandler's parents will travel to Washington to see him in the parade. All three will attend Michigan's inaugural ball with friends who provided tickets.
"This is the most memorable inauguration that we've had because it's the first time an African-American has been elected president," Chandler said. "No one is ever going to forget Barack Obama's inauguration, and I'm lucky enough to be there."

*The WestfieldStar.com

p.s. The Famous Black Horse that is used as a riderless mount in the 60's and 70's was named "Black Jack" The symbolic riderless horse who wore a saddle, but had tall black boots fastened to the stirrup irons that were obviously "empty" was a huge symbol in the funeral procession of presidents. My husband, an accomplished farrier/blacksmith, had the opportunity in the 70's to work on Black Jack in Pennsylvania, at the university there. Also, the thrill of a lifetime!