10/01/2026
🏆 Winning Wednesday! 🐴🇺🇸
Congratulations to Phillip Gibbons, who was the first to give the correct COMPLETE answer to this week’s Horses in Military History trivia question:
Little Texas!
Little Texas was Theodore Roosevelt’s warhorse during the Spanish-American War. Originally a Quartermaster-procured horse, Roosevelt purchased him after organizing the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry Regiment — the legendary “Rough Riders” — while the unit trained at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
The Rough Riders brought together an extraordinary mix of Americans, including cowboys, ranch hands, Native Americans, Hispanics, athletes, writers, and eastern intellectuals who volunteered to serve after war broke out with Spain.
After training, the regiment sailed from Tampa aboard the USS Yucatan for Cuba. During the fighting around San Juan Heights, Roosevelt rode Little Texas as he helped lead the Rough Riders forward at Kettle Hill during one of the most famous mounted moments of the Spanish-American War.
The battle came at a tremendous cost, but the Rough Riders’ actions became an enduring part of American military history.
Roosevelt was later recommended for the Medal of Honor for his leadership and actions during the campaign. The award was ultimately presented posthumously in 2001.
And what became of Little Texas?
After the war, he retired to Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay, New York, where he spent his remaining years surrounded by the Roosevelt family — including five energetic Roosevelt children who made sure his retirement was anything but boring!
When Little Texas died, he was buried at the family’s pet cemetery at Sagamore Hill.
👏 Great job, Phillip — you’ve earned your Winning Wednesday gold star! ⭐
Stories like Little Texas remind us that horses were not simply transportation in military history. They were partners in service, carrying soldiers through training, hardship, danger, and moments that would become part of our nation’s story.
