LB Loves A Parade! :)

Special programming note:

We interrupt the Mounted Police Rodeo Parade in Palm Springs in order to present another parade! :)

Last weekend, the Bartistamobile and I took a road trip so I could watch the 30th annual Horse Drawn Carriage Parade in historic Lebanon, Ohio. If there's anything I love almost as much as Jack Kelly, it's horses! And, there were plenty in this parade, which exclusively features equines pulling carriages--no mounted riders, marching bands, or motorized vehicles are permitted.

This parade was so wonderful I wanted to share some of the photos I took with you. Also, there was a surprise guest at the end of the parade you might recognize...;> 

Barbra Streisand sang a song in Funny Girl titled "Don't Rain On My Parade". Well, it rained on this parade. In fact, it was raining so hard before the parade that the start time was pushed back an hour. 

Luckily, the rain let up long enough for the carriages to begin rolling:

"On Dobbin, on Dixon!"--Santa swapped

his eight tiny reindeer for two large horses. That's the famous Golden Lamb Inn (est. 1803) in the background.

The tag says "13" but I was lucky

to see this beautiful Appaloosa.

This lovely carriage full of Santa's helpers

was pulled by a majestic black drafter.

More black drafters and an antique wagon

which proves grocery delivery is nothing new. 

A small but sturdy Norwegian

Fjord Horse pulled this cart.

A mighty miniature horse pulls

a portable gingerbread house

which almost looks good enough to eat! :)

Here comes an authentic Wells Fargo stagecoach!

A closer look at that magnificent team...

...and a side view of the stage.

A somewhat smaller stage

pulled by a pair of antlered mini-horses.

I wondered why these folks (and even their pony) were dressed as sharks in a holiday parade. I thought maybe it seemed apropos because of the wet weather. I later mentioned it to someone in the know (e.g. with young children) and they said it probably had to do with a certain song about a baby shark--which I will not link to here to spare you from having it stuck in your head for the next decade or so. :> 

No need to wonder why these beautiful Percheron drafters were in the parade.

 

I love this pretty pinto!

This fantastic vintage fire pumper

was led by a team of four drafters.

I thought that was the end of the parade,

but then this guy showed up--asleep at the reins!

He suddenly woke up and

I could have sworn it was...nah, it couldn't be!

(Could it?) ;> 

Before I could get a closer look, it started pouring buckets again and the parade was truly over.

There's also a nighttime version of this parade where the carriages are lit up. I thought about going to it that evening. Unfortunately, though, the rain continued with a vengeance and brought thunder and lightning along with it. Well, maybe next year!

 I hope you enjoyed seeing these wonderful horses and carriages as much as I did. Please stay tuned for more fun with JK in TDS! :)