Fort Riley, KS – This year marks the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, and in honor of this the 1st
Infantry Division’s Commanding General’s Mounted Color Guard (CGMCG) was invited
to perform the Presentation of the Colors at this year’s Kentucky Derby, May 3-4, 2025.
This is the first time a mounted, active-duty, U.S. Army unit has presented the colors
since the Derby’s conception. They performed for people from all around the world who
flew in to witness the most exciting two minutes in sports.
The Color Guard faced a challenging road to Churchill Downs. Their year is filled with
ceremonies, rodeos, and high-profile events where they train and maintain themselves
and their mounts to perform on various stages for hundreds of thousands of people.
Every movement must happen flawlessly. Every event they participate in is an
opportunity to perfect their craft, enabling the team to perform at globally recognized
events like the Derby.
“It was an honor to be the first active duty horse detachment to present colors at the
oldest sporting event in the United States,” said Capt. Patrick Gurnow, commander of
1st Inf. Div’s CGMCG.
Gurnow was instrumental in bringing his team to the Derby. Shortly after taking
command in May 2024, he saw the talent in his new team and wanted to showcase that
talent at America’s oldest, continuously held, sporting event. It took some campaigning,
but the Churchill Downs staff said they would happily host his team.
The next few months were riddled with logistic work. The route had to be planned out to
the hour. Gurnow and his team spent much of their time reaching out to contacts across
the country to stable their horses. Equipment, uniforms and transport had to be checked
and ready for the 18-hour haul from Kansas to Kentucky. The horses needed to be fed
and watered regularly, as did the Soldiers. The travel was a two-week venture for the
team, no half-measures, they had to be on top of every detail. The country was
watching, and the team wanted to be perfect.
“For our two minutes of the Presentation of Colors it took over six months of work from
multiple agencies,” said Gurnow. “The logistics are mind-boggling.”
Gurnow had some major concerns going into this event. Being from a smaller unit in
Kansas, the CGMCG horses weren’t used to the massive crowds they would
experience at the Derby. There would be helicopter flyovers and a constant roar from
Derby fans all within an unfamiliar location. To combat this, the color guard took their
horses to busy locations on Fort Riley and rode during physical fitness training so the
horses could experience crowds and loud noises such as the cadence calls during
morning runs.
Arriving at Churchill Downs ready and excited, they had little time to spare in between
preparations. Riders triple-checked their tack, shined uniforms, and prepped the horses.
Their faces focused, their demeanor stoic, all was quiet except for a nervous joke here
and there. This was the moment they had prepared for all these months. In a few short
minutes, they would walk their horses onto the field and proudly represent not only the
division, but the entire U.S Army.
The Color Guard walked down the racetrack, the massive crowd looming, growing in
size and sound every second. Backs straight, flags held stalwart, they received a
growing cheer from the stands. The roar of the crowd built until they took their positions
and the National Anthem began.
The horses had never seen a crowd that large. Whether they sensed the rich history of
the Churchill Downs track, or just pure excitement from being able to perform for all their
fans, the horses were restless. In contrast, their riders were resolute, never breaking
form and never letting the flag fall. They maintained this composure throughout the
playing of the National Anthem, only letting it down to enjoy a quick grin as they charged
off the track, their thundering hooves surpassed only by the clamor and shouts from the stands.
Afterwards, the team untacked their horses while talking among themselves about what
went wrong and how it could be improved. Underlying their stoic self-critiques lies a
proud excitement. They just made history. They were the first mounted unit to present
the colors at the oldest American sporting event, proudly wearing their mud-splattered
Army Green Service Uniforms.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, to be able to run mustangs on the Kentucky
Derby racetrack,” said Pfc. Alyssa Devers, one of the riders.
The CGMCG had little time to celebrate the moment because now they prepare to
attend Cheyenne Frontier Days, a two-week long rodeo event in Cheyenne, Wyoming in
July.
“I think it was fitting that the 1st Infantry Division was selected to be the first at the Derby
in 151 years. 1ID has a rich history of excellence, both World Wars, Vietnam, War on
Terror, and in our own small way the Color Guard added to that unique chapter of firsts,
and we prove that we’re leading the division and the horse detachment,” said Gurnow.
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