On October 1st the Amway Center opened its doors to the public for the first time with much fanfare and an obligatory ribbon cutting. Mounted Police were dispatched not so much for crowd control but as a display of Orlando’s finest. The Mounted unit barn is a bucolic spot right next to the Citrus Bowl. Rather than loading the horses in the trailer they decided to let them get some exercise by riding them to the Arena.
On the way two of the horses were struck from behind by a vehicle traveling an estimated 30 miles per hour. The horses legs buckled and the two volunteer riders were thrown clear. There was broken glass and the horses were bloodied. Both horses bolted once they got back up and they returned to the barn without the riders. The struck horses were named Captain and Peanut. Katherine and Katie were the volunteers. Katie was scraped and bruised and she had to be taken to the hospital. Her riding helmet was cracked. After a barrage of tests to be sure there was no concussion, she was released. The policeman, named Joey stayed at the scene and called for help. His horse named Farran, had bucked but he managed to stay on. The horses didn’t suffer any broken bones but they were bruised and cut up. Captain had a bloody patch above his eye and Peanut had a nasty gash around his mouth possibly from the bit.
Thankfully no one was seriously injured.The driver involved is the father of City Commissioner Sam Ings. He is 90 years old and said he couldn’t see due to glare and his visor was down. It is unknown if charges will be filed. Veterinarians were quick to respond and the horses have been eating so hopes are high that they will pull through this tragedy.
9000 Backpacks
When I arrived at the Amway Arena at 10AM on Saturday, I was immediately greeted with a line of people that stretched as far as the eye could see. Inside the Arena, 9000 backpacks were being given away packed with pencils, rulers and hand sanitizer. Hope Now International organized this event, which featured free immunizations, hair cuts, Community resources, prizes, entertainment and music.
It was insanely hot outside with temperatures well above 95 degrees and the humidity making the air thick and wet. Green hand fans were given to people waiting in line and large pallets of bottled water were on hand, but parents and children still had to wait in line for hours on end just to finally get into the arena. I had wanted to sketch inside the arena but in the parking lot I read a sign that read: “No backpacks are allowed in the Arena.” I thought that was rather ironic, but I decided my task was to document the mass of humanity who were made to wait in the sun.
I sat under the only large tree and leaned back to do this first sketch. Occasionally children would wander over to see what I was up to. One small boy stood right in front of me watching each line as it was put down. His mother yelled at him when the line inched forward and he ran back. Another boy stirred up an ants nest at the trees roots behind me. He and several other children played in the grass in front of me. The line of people waiting for backpacks stretched from the Arena all the way past the Bob Carr theater, probably a quarter of a mile, and more people kept arriving so the line never got shorter.
Three police horses clomped out on the parking lot pavement. One of the volunteers was Karen Cali, a fellow artist. Her horse walked up to a small tree in the parking lot and started to eat the Spanish moss that was hanging from it. Later these three horses walked up to the shady spot on the grass right in front of me. Rather than worrying about the obstructed view, I took the opportunity to sketch the horses and the crowd of children who gathered to pet them. The volunteers had to keep shouting, “Don’t walk behind, get in front.” They were concerned that if a horse got spooked he might kick back.
It wasn’t until 1PM that the line finally got shorter. At this point I had finished both sketches. I was hot and sweaty and smelled like mold. Watching this huge agonizing line reminded me of news reel footage I had seen of bread lines during the Great Depression. More and more people are finding themselves without a job and struggling to scrape by. An estimated 25,000 people waited to get into the arena that day. The evidence of hard times is obvious. Do the math.
The Citrus Bowl Parade
When we got to the starting point for the parade, the horses became a bit agitated. They kept turning around and around. I got out of the truck to sketch them several times. Then before you knew it, we were sent to the front of the line to head up the parade route. The pooper scooppers got their bucket and shovel out and followed behind. Immediately, a horse let loose a pile. As the scoopers shoveled, a bicyclist got too close and got hit with some flying poo. She laughed though and the scoopers shouted out an apology.
The parade route was really crowded. The officer’s children sitting in the police pickup truck bed with me started throwing candy out to the crowd. Adults and children alike were shouting, “Over here! Throw some over here! The kids were only five or six and didn’t have great throwing arms. The candy would land maybe a foot from the truck, and then the spectators would run into the street to retrieve it. I worked on finishing up this sketch for the duration of the parade. The horses and Citrus float were both sketched at the very beginning of the parade. Every inch of the float was covered with orange and yellow citrus. Once we were moving, the float fell far behind. When we turned the corner onto South Street, we lost sight of the floats behind us for good. I just kept picking out individuals in the crown and adding them to my sketch one at a time.
I was surprised when I heard my name being called out. I looked up from my sketchbook and saw Tisse Mallon and Jeff Wirth in the crowd. I gave them my best Cinderella wave and they laughed. Later, when we were rolling past the grand stands where the TV cameras were, I again heard my name and I picked out Mark Baratelli and Brian Feldman who were up high in an overlooking apartment courtyard. As I was waving to them, I saw a huge camera boom that was swinging over the street. I suddenly realized I might be on TV when the parade is aired nationally on New Year’s day. Being in a parade is like experiencing eleven seconds worth of fame. Then almost immediately, the parade was over.
As we drove back to the barn, we passed a pristine lake with beautiful white ibis and ducks. I could smell the water and warm air. A cormorant was drying his dark wings. It was a beautiful day for a parade.
Preparing for the Citrus Bowl Parade
Terry and I got up at 6:30 AM in order to get to the Police Mounted Unit Stable to help get the horses ready for the Citrus Bowl Parade. It was a very chilly 44 degrees Fahrenheit and when we arrived the horses were already out and wrapped in their blue blankets. Hoof Black was applied to all the horses hooves and green glitter was sprinkled on so they all looked like they were wearing emerald slippers. All of the horses whiskers were shaved the previous day. Terry told me they had to be muzzled in something called a twitch. It seems the horse is then so preoccupied with this twitch that it isn’t freaked out by the act of having the whiskers cleanly cut off.
Decorative orange and green bows were tied to each horses tail and then volunteers painted oranges on the hind quarters. The front legs were also wrapped with white gauze. The blankets were then removed and the horses were quickly saddled up.
When the police were mounted at 9:10 AM, the Captain made a helicopter gesture with her right index finger and they headed for the street. Rather than get the horses in a trailer, it was easier for them to walk the one mile distance to the start of the parade route on Orange and Robinson. I joined the police pick up truck that would follow them on the parade route. Having a truck in the rear keeps the horses safe from any approaching traffic. As we rolled through Parramore, men standing on the sidewalks, probably waiting for some form of work, waved and greeted us. We went past the Coalition of the Homeless building where I sketched a few weeks ago. Terry who was in the passenger seat started playing with the loudspeaker and singing Christmas Carols. I was sitting in the back on some hay bails. I was asked several times to wave traffic around us since we were traveling at the horses walking pace.
The excitement built as we went through several police blockades and approached the start of the parade route.
Wheels for Kids
Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan organized this Holiday giveaway called Wheels for Kids. I found out about the event because Terry is a volunteer for the police Department’s mounted unit and she was asked to help out by being a pooper scooper for the police horses. Terry and I walked the distance from the horses stables to the address on Robinson street, following the horses the whole way. The horses were on hand to look like reindeer in front of the fire engine as it pulled up. The mounted officers all wore Santa hats. As the ladder truck pulled up a black Santa waved to the crowd from the ladders bucket.
An excited group of children stood in front of the middle school where the event happened. Two trucks pulled up and quickly about 95 bikes were taken out and lined up curb side. TV reporters were on hand interviewing the children. All the bikes were for children of the Orlando Housing Authorities Reeves Terrace. Each child was also fitted for a free helmet. Kids looked serious and somber as they were fitted. A police officer helped a young girl balance as she tried her bike for the first time. This is what the holidays are all about.
Orlando Mounted Police at the Veterans Day Parade
My wife Terry has been volunteering for the Orlando Police Mounted Unit. When there is a parade the volunteers who exercise the horses during the week are put on pooper scooper duty for the parade. They take this job very seriously and this year they bought some outlandish red, white and blue wigs to wear. Terry was thrown from a horse last week and her leg is all black and blue, so her assignment was to drive the police pickup truck that followed the Police Horses. I got to sit in the passenger seat of the truck and sketch the parade while being a part of the festivities. This is the first time I have ever been in a parade! I assume the truck was an extra precaution to protect the horses from automobile traffic approaching from the rear. Whenever we entered an intersection I got to turn on the police trucks blinking blue and red lights. Whooo Hoo!
On the way from the Police Barn to the Parade route on Orange Avenue Downtown, we passed a George W Bush look alike standing in front of an Appliance store in Parramore. This guy was a dead ringer for W. He even had the scrunched up eyes and sort of uncertain way of waving at folks.
When we approached the parade there was tons of loud music pounding from the floats and yet the horses remained calm and collected.
The pooper scoopers were very popular with the crowd watching the parade. They acted with swift reflexes shoveling up the multiple loads almost as they hit the ground. The crowd would cheer when another load went into the bucket.
Hours of preparation went into getting the horses ready for the parade. Hoof black was applied to all the horses hooves and then glitter was stuck to the flax. Stars were spray painted on the horses butts and ribbons and stars were affixed to the tails. When I showed the scoopers my sketch after the parade, Kelly said, “Isn’t my butt kind of big?” I explained that I had been drawing horses butts for the past hour and that is why it might appear a bit big. Catherine said “We prepare, prepare prepare the horses, and then BOOM the parade is done.”
Orlando Police Department Mounted Unit
Karen Cali is a volunteer for the OPD mounted unit. Volunteers have to pass a horse riding test, a lie detector test, and a background check before being allowed to train the horses. She allowed me to sketch her as she got ready to take Peanut out for a training ride. Security at the barn is tight. Peanut came to Orlando from the police horse breeding program at Angola Prison Farm in Louisiana. Peanut has a brand that reads L267. The police horses are huge. When KC rode out to the dressage area, she showed me an obstacle course which is used to get the horses used to objects in the urban environment. She rode Peanut around newspaper boxes, tires, garbage cans, over mattresses, a narrow foot bridge, and near a 4 foot alligator from a parade float. KC rode him up and over a seesaw, then just like a football lineman Peanut pushed a huge sled forward with his powerful chest. The horses also receive training in tolerating fireworks and gunfire at close proximity.
I sat on a park bench beside the riding area and watched as Karen effortlessly cantered Peanut around the dirt field. I took the time to apply more washes to this sketch and I was surprised when all the horses who had been eating grass became curious and wandered over to look at what I was doing. A small crowd of horses surrounded me. Karen said this was very odd since the horses typically ignore people when working and might be slightly more curious when loose, but they were very interested in me. Even Denise an old time veteran and the units groom in the barn was surprised. He claimed I might be something of a horse whisperer. I think the horses just like to see equestrian art.
KC said that the city of Orlando may be considering selling off the plot of land next to the Citrus Bowl that the Mounted Unit barn is located on. Several plans have been put forth before with no results. With tightening city budgets the entire future of the mounted unit may be at stake.