By Natalie Bair

The Horsemen, a unique and enthusiastic organization, band together to pump up the crowd and add a bit of excitement to football.

“The horsemen have a few different duties. They’ve got to be in charge of our gold horse, which is a tradition here at Madison, they run the flags at the football games, and they do push-ups every time we score; so they play a really important role in the student section,” dance instructor and horsemen director Mary Ann Barrow said.

The group practice rituals and traditions, such as touching the golden horse before the game, to bring the football players good luck.

“Every game we steal one football from the other team, and the horseman of the week gets it. We all sign the ball, and it’s just been ritual for the past couple of years,” junior Josiah Flores said.

A lot of training and perseverance go into being a horseman, making them a stronger athlete and individual.

“It’s influenced me for anything, the best. It’s really fun. I mean, it’s phenomenal. This is probably the best thing I’ve done through all my high school years,” Flores said.

The enthusiasm and school spirit the group promotes really reflect on the character of the organization.

“Some things people should know is that it’s a privilege to be a horseman because it’s been going on for so long and it’s something that just our school has,” junior David Gordillo said.