SAN ANTONIO – We are just hours away from opening night for the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. It's time to dust off your boots, put on your best Western gear and head over to the rodeo grounds for live music, games and much more, but you can’t forget the main attraction: the animals.
One of the most patriotic moments of each night of the rodeo is the honoring of the American flag, but have you ever thought about who carries the flag?
KSAT’s Alicia Barrera got to meet Quincey, a special member of the Bexar County Palomino Patrol and Drill Team.
Palomino refers to the color of the horse. They are beautiful creatures that stand out with their gold coat and white mane and tail.
Quincey steals the show the moment he trots into the rodeo arena with his partner, Andrea Carson. It’s a moment they prepare for year after year.
The dirt is set and shortly after the doors to the rodeo arena open Thursday night, the American flag will glide in on horseback.
"He's a 16-year-old quarter horse, but he's been doing the anthem for eight years," Carson said.
The Bexar County Palomino Patrol and Drill Team consider Quincey to be a treasure.
“It's always been a golden palomino, which is one of the most striking colors, yet sometimes, hardest to find,” Carson said.
Although Quincey has almost a decade of experience in the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo arena, Carson and Quincey began practicing every other Sunday since September.
“When we practice, we work on collecting the horse's presence, keeping his head down and keeping his ears forward,” Carson said.
Carson said Quincey knows his job like clockwork and with just one command, he’ll begin the beautiful trot that many hope to capture on opening night.
“It’s more of an honor for me, for my country, to carry such a beautiful flag on God's creation, on such a wonderful and beautiful horse,” Carson said.
After every patriotic performance, Quincey gets a handful of treats and a good scratch for his service.
Carson is a military wife, and she shared that she's dreamed about being a flag carrier at the rodeo since she was a little girl. She's been able to join Quincey for the past three years.