Heroes On Horses West: A Special Project of the NSBA Foundation, Sponsored by Bob and Ingrid Miller

By Delores Kuhlwein

On Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at Arizona Sun Circuit, patriotism was at an all time high in The Equine Chronicle Arena at WestWorld of Scottsdale.

For the third year in a row, veterans and disabled veterans were honored in the Parade of Heroes, with an exhibitors’ lunch, and with a Heroes on Horses Western Pleasure class.  The riders themselves were also veterans or disabled Veterans.

The entire event is an ongoing, special project through the NSBA Foundation, sponsored by the Bob and Ingrid Miller Family of Mesa, Arizona, to bring Heroes on Horses to a venue in the Western U.S. The donation from the family was given as a three-year commitment to help the NSBA Foundation host Heroes on Horses as part of the 2022- 2024 Sun Circuit Quarter Horse Show in Scottsdale, AZ.

The event always begins with the Parade of Heroes, with countless flags carried and held in the arena while veterans are paid a heartfelt tribute, and a riderless horse representing fallen soldiers is led into the arena.

 

When the ceremony is over, the competition begins with veterans on horseback for Heroes On Horses Western Pleasure while the spectators enjoy a sponsored lunch. This year, the top four riders were:

 

Champion: Nathaniel Thrall of Tucson, Arizona

Reserve: Shurray Barnes of Tucson, Arizona

Third: John Halpin of Corinth, Texas

Fourth: Christy Vollrath of Chino Valley, Arizona

Nathaniel, who won the class, says his horse, Pete, belongs to All In Show Crew, and Shurray Barnes is the Co-founder of the organization, and  he explains, “I’m just lucky I get to ride the old man.”  When asked how his ride was in the arena, he laughs, “I guess I did good enough!”

Shurray is also Nathaniel’s significant other, and he explains that before Shurray got him into horses, he was taking medication for PTSD and anxiety, among other things.  “Then we got the horse before Charlie, and then Charlie, and I haven’t taken any of it for four years.  Horses give me confidence to do more than just sit there and dwell on things.”

Sponsor Ingrid Miller explains that supporting this event is important to the family because they feel they need to give back to the nation.  “We also need to have more awareness of what our veterans have contributed, and we need to honor them,” she says. “We had three kids with us we pulled out of school today – my granddaughter, Paisley, is eight, and Hannah and her brother, Nolan, are 11. They learned more today holding those flags, and they’ll remember that their whole lives. Today when the National Anthem was played, the young man, Nolan, took his hat off without being told.”

Ingrid says that she and Bob feel there’s a lot of tradition that is getting lost in today’s society – they think kids should learn to open doors for others, say the Pledge of Allegiance, and learn to be respectful, and they got a little piece of that today.

“I was delighted so many people showed up to carry the flag, not just stand in the stands. I think it was very successful,” Ingrid says. “We only had six riders, and I’m going to work on more – I think there are more out there.  NSBA staff odes a marvelous job to put all this together, and coordinate it all, we have to work on it a little more so even more people are involved.”

Everyone attending can admit the emotion is extremely touching during the Parade of Heroes, not only when the riderless horse is led into the arena, but also when the Alan Jackson song, “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning,” plays, making the crowd stop and reflect upon our patriotism.

“We all know where we were on 9/11, and I don’t think kids get it, and it’s our fault,” says Ingrid.  We don’t have parades down the street anymore – you watch the news, and we have entitled, spoiled brats demanding a living, and organizations protesting instead of embracing what we’ve all built.”

She adds, “It’s such a selfless thing our veterans do, and I don’t think we always appreciate that, and it is taken for granted.”

What Ingrid and Bob, who served in the Army, want people to come away with is not only an appreciation, but a desire to act upon it.

“I want them to do something about it,” declares Ingrid. “I want them to say, oh, there’s our flag and put their hand over their heart and be respectful and thank veterans for their service when they see them.  I want them to come away with respect for those people who will give their lives for you – it’s the least you can do.”