A devoted dad gave his son and classmates a visual treat on their last day of school when he trotted up to the gates on a horse to keep a childhood tradition alive.
On May 18, the last day of school for Deer Creek School District, Oklahoma, 8-year-old Cale Moorman was met at the gates of Rose Union Elementary School in Edmond by his father, Mike Moorman, on horseback, leading another horse by the reins for Cale to ride.
“Cale had been asking to get picked up by their horses periodically throughout the school year,” Maggie Leftwich, the school district’s public information officer, told The Epoch Times.
Mike Moorman on his way to pick up his son, Cale, on horseback. (Courtesy of Deer Creek School District)In order to fulfill his beloved son’s wish, Mike called the school for permission to pick up Cale with their family’s horses as a way to celebrate the last day of school. The school’s principal agreed to the request.
“She knew it would be a memorable experience for not only Cale, but for his classmates too,” Leftwich said.
Mike rode his 3-year-old Appaloosa horse, Nova, and lead his 12-year-old quarter horse, Grady, for the 2.5-mile (4.02-kilometer) journey.
Mike told Today: “On the last day of school I rode my horses to school. A lot of the kids did it.”
Deer Creek School District shared footage of Mike’s arrival on Facebook, writing: “If this isn’t the sweetest way to get picked up on the last day of school, we aren’t sure what is!”
Horse-fanatic, Cale was “so excited,” Leftwich told The Epoch Times since neither his friends nor the other students and teachers had ever witnessed a school pickup on horseback. Cale was pleased to show off his unique ride to the gathered crowd, who got to pet the horses.
(Courtesy of Deer Creek School District)According to Leftwich, Mike was prepared.
“His son’s horse was wearing Cale’s car rider pickup tag, a security protocol required for all students being picked up from school, [and] they adhered to our strict safety rules, that all students must load or unload from the right side,” she said.
To ensure safety while riding, Cale donned a cowboy hat helmet.
Cale on his horse with a cowboy hat helmet. (Courtesy of Deer Creek School District)While Rose Union Elementary is close to the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, it is also near open countryside. Owning horses is “not uncommon” among residents, Leftwich said, adding, “However picking up students by horseback definitely does not happen very often!”
(Courtesy of Deer Creek School District)
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