The Grand Entry of the “Pick Axe” Hitch (3 Horses, 2 Mules) Starts the Show!

September 19, 2024
This string of video clips starts with a video portrait of the entire crew responsible for this magnificent turnout of Percherons and draft mules: L to R: Alyssa, Solomon, Nolan, Julie, David, and Randie.

It is the first day of the 2024 Draft Horse Classic and I am helping to crew and take video for Annette’s Big Horse Works. We happen to be in the same spot we were last year so we can see our friends on the other side of the barn through the stall partitions where Wine County Wedding Carriage (Julie and David’s) three giant Percherons are stalled. Next to them are Nolan Darnell‘s two Percheron mules.

They have joined forces using the three Percherons and two mules to pull the Darnell Family wagon that displays flags for all service branches of the United States Military. They enter the arena first to start the show with the national anthem.

It is always very interesting to watch them hitch the team to the wagon so I had fun watching the process which is very systematic and requires teamwork to efficiently and safely hitch the team to the wagon.

The team was hitched in the pickax configuration: two wheel horses with the 3rd horse in front with a mule on each side.

These video clips were taken with my iPhone camera and carousel music is “American patrol” played by two different carousel organs.