Culver Academies to appear in Washington D.C. at Presidential Inaugural Parade Monday

Friday, January 17, 2025 at 2:00 AM

By Shelby Lopez

Culver Academies' Black Horse Troop to represent school on national level at Presidential Inaugural Parade Jan. 20.

Holding a 112-year tradition, the Culver Academies' Black Horse Troop will be returning to Washington, D.C. for the Presidential Inaugural Parade on Jan. 20.

The occasion makes it the 19th inaugural parade the academy will be a part of, with the first being President Woodrow Wilson’s parade in 1913. Following the inaugural parade in 1917, Culver didn't return for the event again until 1957 for President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s second term. Culver Academy went on to be represented by mounted units at every parade since, with the exception of 1993 when the school was not invited to President Bill Clinton’s first inaugural parade.

Culver’s Director of Horsemanship Capt. Sean “Skip” Nicholls said students have been working hard to prepare for the event since October and have been training daily since returning from their holiday break.

Nicholls took over as Culver’s director of horsemanship three years ago, and previously served as the former riding master for the British Armed Forces’ Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in London, where he trained the riders and horses that guarded the late Queen Elizabeth II during parades. The inaugural parade is a first for Nicholls, but something he and his students are eagerly anticipating. Perfecting the formations, while finalizing travel and lodging is a task for not only the students, but for the horses as well.

To ensure things go as smoothly as possible on the crowded Washington, D.C. streets during the parade, Nicholls and his students have more recently been focusing on desensitizing the horses, with horsemanship students who aren’t going to the event helping at their practices by making noise and waving flags. Nicholls said they have even brought in fire engines and police cars with their sirens blaring to try and desensitize the horses further.

During previous inaugural parades, at least one rider is usually pulled from the event due to their horse's fear and behavior caused by the excessive noise. Nicholls said the main concern is the safety of students, but remarked that some of his students at Culver are better riders than those who rode under him in the Household Cavalry.

Juan Diego Urruela, 18, born in Guatemala but raised in Italy, said that horses were a common trend in his family he continued into his own life, inspiring his passion with Culver's Horsemanship during the past three years he's attended the academy. Urruela said the school has taught him time management, responsibility, and made him more organized with clear understanding of what he wants to do in the future.

“Being at Culver Academy has given me a clearer mindset and allowed me to grow and see the world in a different perspective,“ Urruela said.

Being able to participate in the inaugural parade is an honor, Urruela said, adding it's not only about showing duty and pride for the new president, but also about representing Culver Academies on a national level.

The 2025 Presidential Inaugural Parade will be live on most major networks and streamed live on various platforms starting at 3 p.m. Jan. 20.

Check out photos in the gallery below to see some horsemanship practices going on at Culver Academies this week in preparation for the Presidential Inaugural Parade on Monday below.