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Celebrated caisson horse retires to Chatham

Nov 23, 2022 12:30 am

David Lee is reporting for The Columbia Paper the retirement of one of the most celebrated caisson horses of the U.S. Army was announced November 11, at the Equine Advocates Rescue and Sanctuary in Chatham. Sergeant York served for 25 years as the riderless horse for military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery including services for former President Ronald Reagan and General Colin Powell. A citation marking the occasion was composed by Governor Kathy Hochul and read out by Equine Advocates President and Founder Susan Wagner. Columbia County Veterans Service Agency Director Gary Flaherty also spoke. The Caisson Platoon is part of the Third Infantry. The horses chosen must have an imperturbable temperament and be black or gray in color. Born in 1991, Sergeant York is a standardbred race horse who had a brief racing career under the name Allaboard Jules before joining the Army in 1997. Read more in The Columbia Paper.