Guard's Black Horse Troop.

May of 1897, Culver's Black Horse Troop made its first formal appearance, serving as Honor
Guard for Indiana Governor James Mount at the Grand Army of the Republican Encampment
in Richmond, Indiana.

An escort to president's, emperors, kings, and queens, the Black Horse Troop has represented
the Culver Academies to the world for more than one hundred years. In recent years, the Troop
has presented at one time as many as ninety riders on mounts selected from a stable of more than
110 black horses.

Twelve times the Black Horse Troop, which boasts the Academies' best horsemen, has
journeyed to Washington, D.C., to participate in the Presidential Inaugural Parade, a tradition
that began in 1913 with the first inauguration of President Woodrow Wilson. The Troop saluted
Wilson again in 1917 and then returned to the nation's capital every four years from Dwight D.
Eisenhower's second term in 1957 to George Bush's oath of office in 1989. The Black Horse
Troop returned to the inaugural parade in 1997.

The Black Horse Troop has appeared in more Presidential Inaugural Parades than any other
private or public high school contingent. It has had the honor of escorting Queen Elizabeth II of
England, the King and Queen of Denmark, and the late Emperor Hirohito of Japan during
several royal visits to the United States. The Troop was part of the opening ceremonies at the
1933 World Exposition in Chicago and the 11th Pan-American Games, held in Indianapolis, in
1987. It has traveled countless miles across the country to appear at many prominent national
events, including the 1976 Cotton Bowl Parade in Dallas and the 1978 Kentucky Derby
"Pegasus Parade."