Sgt. York
Sgt. York, a standardbred (an American breed of trotting and pacing horses developed especially for harness racing by crossing Thoroughbreds with Morgans and other breeds) was selected to serve as the riderless horse that escorted the body of President Ronald Reagan at his State funeral, to the Capitol (the building in Washington, D.C., where the Congress of the United States meets) on June 11 2004.
Sgt. York a black gelding who was born on April 25th 1991, was a modest harness racehorse who used to run under the name of Allaboard Jules. He won five out of 23 races and $14,881 at Freehold Raceway, Yonkers Raceway and other tracks in the New York and New Jersey area's in the 1990's.
When his career as a harness racer ended in 1997, trainer David Brandwine approached Marie Dobrisky an employee of the New Jersey Racing Commission to see if she could help find the horse a job.
Marie Dobrisky's son, Sgt. Frank Dobrisky belonged to the Army unit in charge of funeral horses, the 3rd U.S. Infantry, Caisson Platoon. The horse was donated to the same Army unit at Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia. Fort Myer is an Army base near Arlington National Cemetery.
The horse was re-named Sgt. York and became a caparisoned horse (decorated warhorse), which trails the caisson (gun carriage) without a rider as a tribute to a fallen hero.
Sgt. York a black gelding who was born on April 25th 1991, was a modest harness racehorse who used to run under the name of Allaboard Jules. He won five out of 23 races and $14,881 at Freehold Raceway, Yonkers Raceway and other tracks in the New York and New Jersey area's in the 1990's.
When his career as a harness racer ended in 1997, trainer David Brandwine approached Marie Dobrisky an employee of the New Jersey Racing Commission to see if she could help find the horse a job.
Marie Dobrisky's son, Sgt. Frank Dobrisky belonged to the Army unit in charge of funeral horses, the 3rd U.S. Infantry, Caisson Platoon. The horse was donated to the same Army unit at Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia. Fort Myer is an Army base near Arlington National Cemetery.
The horse was re-named Sgt. York and became a caparisoned horse (decorated warhorse), which trails the caisson (gun carriage) without a rider as a tribute to a fallen hero.
