Reagan and Ford Were Real Athletes
May 2, 2023 12:51 pm ET Former President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan ride horses on at Rancho del Cielo in Santa Barbara, Calif., Aug. 20, 1996. Photo: reuters/Reuters In his review of “Power Players” by Chris Cillizza (Bookshelf, April 25), Edward Kosner implies that President Ronald Reagan’s love of riding was a Hollywood pose “used” to polish his image “as a bronzed Western hero (although he was from Illinois).” Years before Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, Reagan volunteered for the Cavalry, which taught him to ride in detail, the old U.S. horse Cavalry way. Incredible as it might seem today, Trooper Reagan was trained to ride into combat on horseback, armed only with a pistol and a saber. Later, in his Hollywood years, Reagan would ride his own horses on film. Seasoned old stuntmen—hoping to see the handsome dude get his
Former President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan ride horses on at Rancho del Cielo in Santa Barbara, Calif., Aug. 20, 1996.
Photo: reuters/Reuters
In his review of “Power Players” by Chris Cillizza (Bookshelf, April 25), Edward Kosner implies that President Ronald Reagan’s love of riding was a Hollywood pose “used” to polish his image “as a bronzed Western hero (although he was from Illinois).” Years before Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, Reagan volunteered for the Cavalry, which taught him to ride in detail, the old U.S. horse Cavalry way.
Incredible as it might seem today, Trooper Reagan was trained to ride into combat on horseback, armed only with a pistol and a saber. Later, in his Hollywood years, Reagan would ride his own horses on film. Seasoned old stuntmen—hoping to see the handsome dude get his comeuppance in the saddle—ended up begging directors to have Reagan slow down. He was such a good rider, he outrode the supposedly expert stuntmen and even the camera trucks.
Much later, the U.S. Secret Service protecting the president at Rancho del Cielo, Calif., was surprised to find that strapping young agents in their 20s couldn’t keep up with Trooper Reagan, then in his midseventies. Reagan’s love of riding wasn’t an affectation, a Hollywood pose, but a byproduct of his honorable service to his country in the Cavalry.
Christian Mark DeJohn
Liberty University
Newtown Square, Pa.
Gerald Ford started as center in every game on Michigan’s 1934 football team and was named team captain and voted team MVP. Anyone who has played college football knows this is a distinct honor, especially at Michigan. Millions of boys can only dream of even making a team like the Wolverines. After Ford received the medal for most valuable player, he reportedly said, “It doesn’t get much better than this.” For our most athletic president, it surely would get better.
Tom Miltenberger
Missouri City, Texas
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