01/14/05 Idaho drill team is DC bound, part 2

The Americanas drill team started out 23 years ago with six girls and one Roman rider. A Roman rider rides two horses at once, standing up, one foot on the back of each. Now with 32 horses Mel Griffeth's Rexburg-based drill team will show their stuff to the nation next week during the inaugural parade in Washington DC. These horses and riders weave in and out among each other while performing various patterns before big crowds. GRIFFETH "Good gentle quarter horses. They seem to have the mentality. There's a tremendous amount of pressure when you drop into a parade route. There's a million people on the sidelines like there was in Pasadena. Those horses have to be gentle and quiet and be able to stand that pressure." 25 of the horses that are going to Washington below to Griffeth or his relatives. Mel says he's the oldest at 68 but he has one granddaughter who is nine and riding. In fact, four of his daughters and nine of his grandkids will be riding. GRIFFETH "The horses are going to be loaded back into that semi and we're sending them back to Rexburg and we're going to stay there for a couple of days and then come home on Saturday. So we'll get back about the same time do." If you want to see them in person the Americanas will be at the Dodge National Finals rodeo in Pocatello in mid-March. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott