FORT CARSON, Colo. -- The 72nd annual Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo Parade traveled through the heart of downtown Colorado Springs Tuesday with support from Fort Carson Soldiers.
Maj. Gen. Joseph Anderson, commanding general, 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson, was honored as the grand marshal of the parade, and the 4th Inf. Div. and Fort Carson Mounted Color Guard led the procession on horseback. Marching Soldiers and two military vehicles with crews followed in the parade after the 43rd Army Band, Nebraska Army National Guard.
"We are a community inside their community," Anderson said. "We give back to the community and they support us … we have a great relationship."
Colorado Springs civilian and local military leaders attended a pre-parade reception where the two groups had the opportunity to mingle over refreshments.
"We have had a tough couple of weeks here in Colorado Springs with the wildfires, and all of the military here got engaged," said Brian Binn, a director on the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo Board. "Fort Carson folks were on the front line … everybody lent a hand in a great time of need."
Soldier support for this parade is just one community event among many that Fort Carson participates in every year.
"These people are now my friends, not business acquaintances or politicians," Anderson said. "These are our friends that we move forward with in the community."
Fort Carson has supported this parade for decades. Money raised by Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo parade entries goes toward scholarships for Families of fallen or wounded Soldiers.
"On behalf of the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo Foundation, we are very pleased that we can do this for our military to show our appreciation for all the great support they give us," Binn said.
The rodeo is part of Western Heritage Days, which began June 20 with the Colorado Springs Street Breakfast where Soldiers cooked more than 1,000 pounds of pancake batter and 1,500 pounds of eggs to show their appreciation for the community's continuous support of the military.
The parade followed a few weeks later to kickoff Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo Week. The rodeo is a long-standing Colorado tradition dating back to 1937. People flock to Norris-Penrose Event Center to watch bull riding, team roping, steer wrestling and saddle bronc riding.
"We look forward to hosting you all (July 11) at the rodeo," Binn said. "Thank you all for supporting us."
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