New Year's 2013 in Tombstone, Arizona

Doing some major catch-up here...here are a few pictures from New Year's 2013 in Tombstone, Arizona.

 

 



 

In front of my house in Tombstone.

Bisbee, Arizona- It actually snowed!

Tombstone, the day after New Year's - No snow but a VERY COLD wind!

German Cavalry Training

I came across these pictures while cleaning up my computer. These are pictures of German cavalry training probably sometime just prior to 1914. As you can see, jumping was emphasized quite a bit ... :-)

In this picture, it appears that the jump obstacle is somewhere about three feet or so. This is quite a jump to make while both hands are otherwise occupied...like with a lance. I've done this sort of jump once and it wasn't easy. :-)

These two pictures above really illustrate the need to clear a pretty high obstacle- and it's a sure bet that herd dynamics encourages the horses to jump- don't want to get left behind. Still, it would really be bad if a horse refused...

Note the pre-Caprilli set on the riders- they're leaning back on the jump.

15th Infantry - China c. 1912

Just to continue the China theme...with the outbreak of the Chinese Revolution in 1911 associated with the overthrow of the Quing Dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China, forces from the Western powers were sent to China to secure Western interests and avoid a repeat of the Boxer Rebellion. One such unit that the US dispatched to China was the 15th Infantry, which was initially stationed at Chinwangtao (1st Batallion and Machinegun Platoon) and later, joined by the rest of the regiment, at Tientsin. Ultimately, the 15th was to remain stationed in China until 1938.

Distinctive Unit Insignia - 15th Infantry


15th Infantry Route March, somewhere outside of Tientsin, c. 1912



This is something I'd like to research some more for a mounted impression for living history... :-)


Tropical uniform.

China Revolution 1911

Here's an upcoming movie that looks pretty interesting:



This is about the Chinese Revolution which saw the overthrow of the Quing Dynasty and the creation of the Republic of China led by Sun Yat Sen. Unfortunately, China very quickly fell into civil war and the rise of war lords which pretty much divided China and facilitated Japan's conquest of parts of China. China wasn't ultimately re-unifired until the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

Colonial German Army in Sudwest Afrika

Military history has always been a fascination with me and especially when it comes to campaigning in faraway places. One such place is German Southwest Africa (today known as Namibia) where the German Colonial Army campaigned against the various local tribes during the early 20th Century from about 1893 through 1914.

The climate of Southwest Africa is arid and warm with most of it being composed of desert. To effectively campaign, the German forces were organized mostly as mounted infantry around 1904, consisting of 9 companies of mounted infantry, along with three artillery batteries, and the 7th Company being mounted on camels.

Below are two pictures of the 7th Company:

Hitting the Trail...

Lately, my wife has been taking up riding again so she's been riding Max and I've been riding anything else I can find in the barn... :-) I've been doing a lot of riding with Thor, a 4-year old Fjord Pony and it's been interesting,to say the least. Thor stands about 14-3 hands and it built like a linebacker so he definitely can support me. Thor tends to move at a leisurely pace, which sometimes annoys Max and he's definitely got mountain goat in him, the way he picks his way through rock areas and handles mountain trails. Thor is pretty steady for a 4-year old and there's very little that seems to bother him (he even rides at night with no issue) although he is a bit herd-bound in not wanting to be separated from Max.

This weekend, on both Saturday and Sunday, my wife and I rode a leisurely loop up to the sheep pens and back, about a 4-mile ride round trip. My wife got in some good saddle time with Max and I was able to get the "Fjord experience" riding. :-) Overall, they're very sturdy and mild-mannered horses (although Thor can be stubborn pony when he wants to be). I only wish that he was a bit more energetic.

It was definitely excellent riding weather- not too hot and it was a welcome relief to what we've been getting in the past few weeks. More later! :-)

KTLA Promo Spot - Part II

A friend of mine finally emailed me some still pictures from the KTLA promo shoot that our group did on September 16. Unfortunately, the actual filmed footage really didn't do justice to us but the pictures help tell a better story. I was portraying a Prussian Death's Head Hussar from the Napoleonic Era- this uniform is more about show than anything else. :-) Enjoy!

Max and I as Hussars...





Warming up Max a bit- all the standing around bored him. :-)

Fritz Bronner and his wife Margie, the founders of the group Warhorse.

Another group display.