Rodeo season kicks off Saturday morning with the Silver Spurs parade through downtown St. Cloud and the Monster Bulls event that evening. But, by next weekend, the 152nd Silver Spurs Rodeo will take over the rodeo ring.
It’s steeped in tradition, and this year celebrates 80 years of rodeo action. Part of that tradition is the Spurs’ Quadrille riding team, which performs an eight horse-and-rider choreographed spectacle, often called a “square dance on horseback.”
Aside from the anniversary, the team’s shows at this year’s rodeo, starting next Thursday, will have a little more meaning. It’s their first shows together since the team traveled to Pasadena, Calif., to be part of the annual Rose Parade on New Year’s Day.
The Quadrille members who rode in the parade were Bear Kempfer, Sheila Kataif, Clifton Chapman, Summer Booth, Ricky Booth, Ashley Fluke, Chard Garmany, Laci Langford, Steve and Kaye Whaley, John Partin, Julie Soileau, Randy Booth, Amanda Yontz, Wade Kempfer, Natalie Booth, Derrick Whaley and Courtney Kempfer. Quadrille Caller Heath White walked with the team in the parade.
Among the numerous events, the team rode horseback in the parade— and had to sleep with the horses overnight on a highway underpass— and also participated in Equestfest, an annual horsemanship and equestrian event, in which the Quadrille showed off its talents.
It was a fulfilling— and exhausting—trip, said Ashley Booth, the Quadrille Chair.
“It was beyond perception. Everything went so well. Our horses traveled beautifully,” she said. “When we saw them out there and saw they were happy, we knew it was going to be a great experience.”
If it was great, it was also busy. The team arrived a day after Christmas and immediately had to rehearse for Equestfest, then had to attend meetings and setups for the parade. But, that was the easy part.
It took kind donations from Experience Kissimmee and Osceola County to fund the trip, and then a pair of carrier truck services had to make a three-day, cross-country trip with the horses. After the parade, they made the trip in reverse.
“We carried them everywhere we went,” Fluke said of those sponsors who helped take the Silver Spurs banner to California for the first time.
Unfortunately, the NBC and ABC coverage went to commercial when they appeared, but the Quadrille was shown on The Cowboy Channel, and Ashley’s husband and former rodeo Big Boss, Chris Fluke, posted local Los Angeles affiliate coverage you can see here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Wv_IDCn_HA.
“We’ve gotten back great impressions from various media outlets,” Ashley Fluke said. “The impact for the club was big. We talked up Osceola County out there and definitely made an impression as Florida cowboys out west.”
In the parade, the Quadrille wore colored “throwback” shirts hand-made by a group of longtime rodeo lady volunteers. The team will wear them during their performances at the rodeo, which takes place at 7 p.m. Feb. 15-17 and at 2 p.m. on Feb. 18. Before they perform, the Silver Spurs Arena will show video of its past, present and future, Fluke said.
The term “throwback” can be used right along with “tradition” when it comes to the Quadrille, as some of the current members are fifth-generation riders.
“It really does mean a lot to carry on a family tradition of an event so well supported by our community,” Fluke said. “This whole year has been about tradition, as the (younger) generations keep on doing what our families do.”