Students to sit out parade, objecting to Confederate flag riding club carries

timesrecordnews ^ | May 12, 2004 | Trish Choate

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The Santa Rosa Palomino Club doesn't plan to change anything because of two Vernon students' objections to the Confederate flags the riding club carries, a club official said.

"That's the first real complaint that's been voiced to us," Gene Tyra, drill captain, said.

A brother and sister, Jeremy Todd, 15, and Shelby Todd, 13, will sit out the parade for the Santa Rosa Roundup at 3 p.m. today in Vernon, according to the Vernon Daily Record. The teens view the flags as symbolic of racism.

They asked to be excused from performing with the Vernon High School and Vernon Middle School bands, according to the Vernon newspaper. Instead, the students are to write essays about their thoughts on the flag.

VMS Principal Bill Belew said that Stephen Morgan, music director, had taken care of the matter. Belew declined to comment further.

Tyra said the flag doesn't make a political statement for the club's 33 riders.

"We basically use it as color for our precision drills," he said.

The club began carrying the flag in 1954, according to the Web site of the Vernon Chamber of Commerce at www.vernontx.com/palomino.html.

"To the riders, the flag recalls the southern traditions of excellence in horsemanship, daring execution of difficult cavalry maneuvers, and commitment to a single purpose -- to bring honor to their hometown by representing Vernon, Texas, as 'Gentlemen of the Saddle,' " according to the Web site.

Tyra said he doesn't consider the students' objections to be complaints.

"I would just consider this a concern of the students," he said. "They do have a right to their thoughts."

The club performs statewide and can have as many as 50 members, Tyra said.

"We're looking for a few good riders," he said.

Angela Sharp, the students' mother, could not be reached Wednesday morning and Wednesday afternoon. The students could not be reached Wednesday afternoon.

Morgan could not be reached Wednesday morning.

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horsey news

[Tax-chick]

What state is this from? My daughter would love to be in a riding club like that, but thus far we're not willing to trade in the rest of our lives to achieve horse ownership!

[Tax-chick]

horse activities

[Politicalmom]

Good. I am sure it will be a relief to get rid of the whiny little brats for a while, anyway. : )

[eyespysomething]

Good thing they don't live in Georgia.

They'd never get to go to/participate in parades.

[stainlessbanner]

TX. I seem be the 4H advocate on FR lately, so contact your local 4H clubs - they can get your family involved in riding, lessons, ranches, boarding, trail rides, etc.

[Dante3]

How else could whiny and wimpy nobodies such as Jeremy and Shelby make the news? They surely won't be missed.

[HairOfTheDog]

More of a confederate thread than a horse thread, but we might find something horsey in it!

Ping!

Watching a high-school age drill team is sortof like watching a demolition derby, but at that age, it sure looked like fun!

I tried to join a mounted drill team that practiced at the same barn as me in high school... They wouldn't let me in because I had a stallion at the time and they had a rule against them. I practiced with some of the members. As a veteran show horse, my stallion was much more schooled and under control than most of them, but rools is rools, so they say.

[Puppage]

The teens view the flags as symbolic of racism

Perhaps, they'd like to explain just WHY they think it's a symbol of racism?

My bet is they couldn't back up their views to save their life.

[SF Republican]

Vernon is in Texas, just where the red river and the line that drops down from the panhandle come together. Hot, flat and dry West Texas. My Mother grew up near there and my grandparents lived there; I remember two things, make that three things, one was the horn toad lizards were everywhere, the asphalt would burn your feet in the summer and we always went to the movies because it was air conditioned.

[Kenton]

They asked to be excused from performing with the Vernon High School and Vernon Middle School bands, according to the Vernon newspaper. Instead, the students are to write essays about their thoughts on the flag.

Very mature on the part of the Todd kids, almost refreshing. Nice to see them politely ask to be excused rather than acting like spoiled brats and expecting everybody else to change to suit them.

It seems like a reasonable way to resolve the issue. The two kids get to stand up for what they believe, and the other kids get to do what they want. And both sides are treated in a mutually respectful manner. Just one more reason I love Texas.

These issues should all be handled like this, not by automatically giving in to the "I don't like it so you can't do it" crowd.

[TheDon]

Pssssttt! Jeremy and Todd...the Confederates lost the war!

[TonyWojo]

Jeremy Todd, 15, and Shelby Todd, 13, will sit out the parade for the Santa Rosa Roundup at 3 p.m. today in Vernon, according to the Vernon Daily Record. The teens view the flags as symbolic of racism.

I am glad to hear they are sitting out the parade, I view there views as a symbol of communism

[Skooz]

Their loss.

[Liberty Valance]

My mother grew up near there as well. Isn't Vernon where they filmed "The Last Picture Show"?

[Liberty Valance]

Archer City is where "The Last Picture Show" was filmed...

[Redbob]

""To the riders, the flag recalls the southern traditions of excellence in horsemanship, daring execution of difficult cavalry maneuvers, and commitment to a single purpose -- to bring honor to their hometown by representing Vernon, Texas, as 'Gentlemen of the Saddle,' " according to the Web site."

Judging from this and other clues, I'd guess this was Texas!

[Redbob]

Not in Vernon!

And BTW, when was the last time you saw someone leave the South to move up North for work?

The first "giant sucking sound" was jobs leaving the North in the '60's to move to George Corley Wallace's Alabama.
Textile mills, tire plants, paper mills, shoe and clothing factories,...

You drive through ANY northern city, and not only does it look like the North lost, but it looks like somebody is still fighting a war there.

[Tax-chick]

Sigh ... when I get my bifocals, this won't happen!