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Light Riders
A group of precision riders from Idaho are busy lighting themselves -- and their horses -- up for a role in the Olympics.
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(Dec. 15, 2001)------You can catch their shining performance at the Olympic rodeos.
John Miller has preview of what to expect.
Can horses see in the dark?
"Well, yeah they can!"
GOOD THING BECAUSE PITCH BLACKNESS IS WHERE THIS TEAM SHINES THE BRIGHTEST.
"Whoo Hoo! Come on Pam, catch up!"
"Actually the horses can see very well in the dark. We can't necessarily see the ground very well, so we rely on them."
LIT ONLY BY THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ON THEIR UNIFORMS, JODIE PERKINS AND HER 17 FELLOW STAMPEDERS ARE THE GALLOPING EQUESTRIAN EXAMPLE. OF COURSE, DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!
"Uh, huh, the audience like it, the faster we go, and the closer we get!"
AMANDA PETERSON SAYS IT'S PRETTY IMPORTANT NOT TO LET YOUR LIGHTS BURN OUT ... IF YOU DON'T WANNA GET YOUR LIGHTS KNOCKED OUT.
"Yeah, in fact I've crashed once with a gal. We came too close on the legs and we hit, and there's been a couple times where a couple girls have fallen off!"
"Our light man has probably.. I don't know, a million lights of red white, and blue, and he's constantly replacing them."
"A whole lot of electrical tape. Yeah, as you can see, we have physical plug-ins."
CONNECTED TO 20 POUND BATTERIES WHICH, ALONG WITH COACH YO MARTS,
KEEP THE GIRLS ENERGIZED!
"And it's way fun, because there's lot of camaraderie. That's why it works real well..."
AND WHY YOU CAN BET, EVERY TIME THE LIGHTS GO OUT AROUND HERE,
"It's gonna be real cool!"
