Legacy and Heritage: Horse Cavalry Detachment mounting up for national competition

Photo By Sgt. Marcus Floyd | Soldiers with the 1st Cavalry Division Horse Cavalry Detachment participate in a demonstration August 11, 2016 at Fort Hood, Texas. The detachment is the largest horse detachment in the Army. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Marcus Floyd, 13th Public Affairs Detachment)  

FORT HOOD, TX, UNITED STATES

09.05.2016

Story by Sgt. Marcus Floyd 

13th Public Affairs Detachment

FORT HOOD, Texas — In 2015, the 1st Cavalry Division Horse Cavalry Detachment competed as a team for the first time in the U.S. Cavalry Association's National Cavalry Competition, and won.
This year, they hope to do it again.
Established in 1972, the 1st Cavalry Division Horse Detachment based at Ft. Hood, Texas is the largest horse detachment in the Army.
“It's not lost on me that I get to come here and do this,” said 1st Sgt. Aaron Campanella, the non-commissioned officer in charge of the detachment. “It's pretty cool what we do here, and it's a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
The annual competition is hosted by the U.S. Cavalry Association and aims to preserve American cavalry history and traditions.
Comprised of several events, the competition promotes horsemanship and tests cavalrymen’s skills.
Fortunately for the 1st Cavalry Division Horse Cavalry Detachment, preserving traditional Army cavalry horsemanship is something they strive for all year.
“For our mission, we're constantly training for these events year-round,” said Staff Sgt. Jason Bishop, the military trainer for the detachment. “When [Soldiers] first get [to the detachment] they learn military horsemanship before you ever get to perform in our show, and that could take up to one to two years.”
For the competition, riders from the detachment will compete at three different levels: novice, intermediate and advanced. Additionally, they will be tested on combat horsemanship, weapons usage, field jumping, and various other obstacles.
During the public demonstrations the detachment conducts once a week, the Soldiers practice many of the skills they are tested on for the competition. In many ways, the demonstrations are similar to dress rehearsals for the detachment, said Bishop.
“We want to represent Fort Hood and the Division as best as we possibly can,” said Bishop. “So honing our skills, our timing, our transitions between events, we want everything to flow really smoothly and look very professional.”
The competition will take place Sept. 20 to 25 at Fort Reno, Oklahoma.

• Date Taken: 09.05.2016
• Date Posted: 09.28.2016 10:50
• Story ID: 210815
• Location: FORT HOOD, TX, US