Cowboy Mounted Shooting | Horse Training | Wild West Show
Anthony and Colin: The Australian Light Horsemen
Photo courtesy of Alias Images.
The Australian Light Horsemen
(Click on thumbnail to see full-size photograph)
Starting with their first appearance in 1993, The Australian Light Horsemen have performed for 8 of the last 9 years in the Single Action Shooting Society's annual End of Trail Wild West Show. This year, Anthony De Longis and Colin Dangaard, owner of the Australian Stock Saddle Company, had a few new tricks up their sleeves, making the event a duel between two mates in uniform. This includes taking targets at the gallop being held by their faithful aide on foot.
Lances were a new addition to the show this year, with Anthony and Colin grabbing them during a ride-by, followed by a bit of competitive "tent-pegging" - a pastime created by soldiers to chase a few "wild hairs" and develop their skill with the lance (upper row). In the absence of a tent peg (or tent, for that matter) Anthony and Colin skewered 4" x 4" piece of foam with the tip of their lances at the gallop. They then upped the ante by taking held foil targets (lower row).
Before the sabre drills, Anthony charged Shadow at the target (a cabbage), slicing it with a backhand cut with his sabre (upper left). Colin took the challenge - and lopping his target (a styrofoam head) from its mount while taking High Tower over the cavaletti (upper right). After showing what damage these weapons are capable of doing, the two performed cavalry sabre drills
If you have an equestrian or Western event and would like to have the Light Horsemen perform, please write to Mary with the name of the event, the dates and the location, and we'll let you know what is possible. A demo tape of the show is available on request.
The Toowomba Tango
The twist in the Australian Light Horsemen performance was the discovery by the mounted soldiers that their "mate" on the ground is actually a "sheila" (left). Anthony quickly dismounted his horse to make some time with this whip-wielding woman - first cracking around the two of them (center), then cutting the flower held in her hand (right).
The two then performed their "Toowomba Tango," a synchronized series of whip cracks. The dance starts with a prep for a backward crack to the audience,and includes verticals (left), horizontals, diagonals, whip wraps (center) and multiple crack figures on both sides of the body - finishing with a final diagonal gypsy crack that tracks to the ground (right).
After the dance, Anthony wrapped Mary with his whip and rolled her in to him (left), finishing the performance with a swooning kiss. Now those Aussies have quite a new "army"!
If you have an equestrian or Western event and would like to have Anthony and Mary perform their ground whip act, please write to Mary with the name of the event, the dates and the location, and we'll let you know what is possible
Visit Spirit of the West Page 1: Cowboy Mounted Shooting
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The California Desperados Website
Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association
The Single Action Shooters Society Website
Cajun Fire's Mounted Shooting Page
The Happy Trails Children's Foundation
Ye Olde World & Old West Living History Foundation
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This page last updated June 17, 2001