Tara Wentz Goosley (foreground) rides CH Winsdown Edgecliff in a ‘practice’ parade in California prior to his appearance in the 2023 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena. A dozen riders dressed as kings and queens rode American Saddlebreds in the parade.
For a big segment of the population, horses are something they only see on television or possibly in a parade. Each New Year’s Day, horses are the stars as troops of equestrians take part in America’s perennially popular Tournament of Roses Parade, in Pasadena, California.
This year, American Saddlebred CH Winsdown Edgecliff of Wentz Stables in Orefield, PA made his appearance on the west coast in the Tournament of Roses Parade. Jasper, as he is known to his friends and fans, was one of a dozen horses in the troop of American Saddlebreds led by Michele Macfarlane of Scripps Miramar Saddlebreds, in San Diego, California. Among the riders was Lehigh County, PA native and Saddlebred exhibitor Carson Kressley, a television personality, actor, and designer.
“I got the call from Michele Macfarlane in the fall. She said ‘this is kind of a crazy request, but I have always been such a fan of that horse and have watched his career and I think he just has that special look. I think he would be wonderful in the parade’,” Tara Wentz Goosley said. “She could have any horse she wants, and she wanted him. I thought he would do a good job.”
Jasper has been with his trainer Tara Wentz Goosley since he was a four-year-old and has been with her throughout his entire show career. Now in his late teens, Jasper was owned by Lynn Finelli who passed away in summer 2021.
“She asked that I look out for Jasper for the rest of his life. I promised her to try to do what was in his best interest,” Tara said. “Jasper’s been a very special horse for me. I’m grateful that Lynn trusted me to make the decisions for him. I think she would be proud looking down at him.”
Throughout his show career Jasper has done saddle seat, driving, and particularly western pleasure, where he earned his Champion designation and World Championship titles. He has also been a part of many programs and performances promoting the American Saddlebred breed.
Being able to adapt to the excitement and stress of a parade environment came easily to Jasper.
“I don’t think there’s anything that horse hasn’t done,” Tara said. “That horse has got a huge personality. I guess he thought that parade was there just for him.”
To get to the Tournament of Roses Parade, Jasper traveled to the American Royal Horse Show in Kansas City, MO with other entrants from Wentz Stables. From there he was shipped the remainder of the way to San Diego, arriving in November.
Tara was asked to come out to California in December to take Jasper through his first set of parades in California. She traveled there with her 12-year-old daughter Alexa who helped her prepare.
“Alexa helped get my horse ready. Unusually it’s me helping get horses ready for her,” Tara said. “We did the parade, and he was absolutely wonderful.”
There are stiff regulations for riders in the Tournament of Roses Parade, including a record of successful rides in other parades in California. Because of this, Tara was not able to ride Jasper in the New Year’s Day parade. Instead, Melissa Moore of Kentucky , who has ridden in the parade in past years, would be Jasper’s rider that day.
“I knew Melissa would look absolutely gorgeous and do great with him,” Tara said.
Even though Tara could not be Jasper’s rider in the parade she was in touch with all of the parade day preparations. As she relates it, the horses arrive at the staging point about 10 pm the night before the parade. That area is a highway underpass with the highway blocked to traffic. Around 2 a.m. they bring out the horses and start to get ready for the parade, including gluing fresh flowers in their manes and placing floral garlands around them. As start time approaches, the horses and riders walk about a mile to the beginning of the parade route.
“Then you wait. It’s kind of like a horse show - you hurry up and wait,” Tara said. “The part we get to see on TV is the beginning of the parade. The horses are pretty excited, they’re showy and alert.“
The remainder of the parade is about five and a half miles long, so the horses must stay focused longer than would be expected in a show ring class.
“It’s a big ask to have the horse behave and be alert [amidst] all of that stimulus for such a long time and be patient. It’s a lot to ask them to do that. I do think it takes a certain type of temperament for a horse to take all that in and not be stressed out,” Tara said.
Tara credits Jasper’s show experience as a factor in his easy transition to working as a parade horse.
“He’s learned how to take all that environmental stimulus in and still be well mannered and well behaved. That’s been a big part of his formal training throughout his lifetime,” Tara said. “Especially in the Saddlebred western division, which is probably the closest to a parade division as we have, they have to look very expressive and well mannered.”
Tara points out that parades have a different atmosphere and a different audience than horse shows.
“That’s one of the things that reminds you just how grateful you should be for the opportunities and experiences that we have and some of the everyday things we love about horses,” Tara said. “It fills you with pride to be able to share what you love with others in that way.”
Jasper will soon be on his way home to Pennsylvania, but he did so well in the big parade that there are plans to do it again next year.
“He was a very good boy. He made us proud. He confirmed there really isn’t anything he can’t do,” Tara said.