Hi folks,



Well, those of us who attended the Equine Expo are probably still recovering from it, but it was a great experience and we are already planning for next year. We had 8 horses there, 4 of them Canadian Horses (Jeff, Hercule, Excalibur and Jeena) for the 10th NY Cavalry, and 4 of our solid campaigners from the cavalry (Stoney, Willie, Pistol, and Roxie) for the 9th Virginia and the 1st Maryland. We did both cavalry demos with 8 horses and Canadian Horse breed demos. In the cav demo we carried flags at the gallop, did military drill, ran at the heads with sabres, shot balloon targets with pistols, did a small mounted skirmish, and dismounted to fight on foot--all in a 20 minute time slot!! I can't say our performances were perfect (although our last performance, on Sunday, came close!!) but the crowd loved us, we were very well received and they want us back next year. One really nice moment was when 4 members of the Sundowner drill team (the Western US champs) saw me in the stands as they we leaving the arena after their performance, and saluted me. They really liked us and coming from them this was a high compliment. Union Battallion Commander Steve Betschart came to watch us which I really appreciated. And, we got great newspaper coverage in the Sunday Albany Democrat-Herald including a great photo. So I really can't ask for more.



Thanks to everyone who rode or helped out staffing the booth and being our ground crew and musicians for the demonstrations including Bugler Dan Miller, Mary Miller, Brian and Andrew Plett of the Oregon Fife and Drum Corps, Lin Ahearn, Marti La Rue, Jerry and Terri Eckert, Tom and Lois Warrick, KC and JR Robinson, Linda Hamer, Joe Hamer (for generously lending us the use of saddles and Roxie), Guy Robinson, Russ Kirzinger, Les and Linda Brown, and Wayne (can't remember his last name right now, too brain dead!) who also came down from Canada to ride.



This was a huge undertaking and really brought home the saying of someone being "a real trooper." We had numerous examples of this at the Expo. For example, KC Robinson, Linda, Hamer, and Lois Warrick sewing 10 large quilt blocks to decorate all the stall fronts in record time--they were beautiful! Russ Kirzinger of the10th NY coming all the way from Saskatchewan to ride with us, despite being not long out of recovery from a bad horse wreck. Tom Warrick volunteering to ride Willie, and Guy Robinson switching to Pistol, at the last minute when one of our riders could not make it to the Expo. And then Guy continuing to ride the next day after his gun had misfired over his horse's neck during a demo and he got bucked off and was extremely sore, to say the least. Mary Miller making practices and riding in the Expo despite this being finals week for her, running back and forth between finals and the Expo grounds. Marti LaRue riding Mary's horse Hercule, whom she had never ridden before, in one of the breed demos when Mary was in one of her finals. Jerry Eckert, who rode Dan Miller's horse Pistol on Saturday, with the benefit of only one training session on him, and did a superb job. Brian and Andrew Plett of the Oregon Fife and Drum Corps who came on late notice to play for us on Friday and did a super job that really added to the performance. All these folks (and I'm sure there are examples I have forgotten) really exemplify a "Real Trooper." My hat is off to you all and I am proud to be associated with you.



Sincerely,

Your obedient servant,

Lt. Ken Morris

10th Regt of Cavalry, NYSV.