74R1150 PAN-D
          By Kubiak                                               H.R. No. 13
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, Texas Ladies Aside (TLA) is a precision equestrian
    1-2  drill team that has delighted audiences throughout the state and
    1-3  nation with its stunning performances of this unusual form of
    1-4  family entertainment; and
    1-5        WHEREAS, Cofounded by Caldwell residents Eileen Craig and
    1-6  Sallie Cochran, the group is the world's only equestrian drill team
    1-7  that performs maneuvers while riding sidesaddle on the distinctive
    1-8  Peruvian Paso, a breed of horse that is becoming more widely known
    1-9  as a result of its naturally flashy gait and pleasant disposition;
   1-10  and
   1-11        WHEREAS, This unique organization currently has more than 50
   1-12  members nationwide; ranging in age from 18 to over 60 years old,
   1-13  the women of the TLA encompass all levels of riding skills, from
   1-14  novice to expert, and come from all walks of life to contribute
   1-15  their creative skills and practical knowledge to the group; and
   1-16        WHEREAS, Having developed a well-deserved reputation for
   1-17  conviviality and friendliness, Texas Ladies Aside has a burgeoning
   1-18  membership, with some of the group's enthusiastic participants
   1-19  hauling their horses several hundred miles for the opportunity to
   1-20  take part in the group's regularly scheduled practices; and
   1-21        WHEREAS, Routines involve from two to 12 people and sometimes
   1-22  feature the team's auxiliary group, The Men Besides; while
   1-23  performing, members of the TLA wear costumes that vary in style
   1-24  from smartly tailored elegance to frilly femininity in the fashion
    2-1  of Spanish-Mexican "charras"; and
    2-2        WHEREAS, Through the years, Texas Ladies Aside has attracted
    2-3  many new fans with a host of stellar performances at such popular
    2-4  events as the Cotton Bowl Parade in Dallas, Foley's Thanksgiving
    2-5  parade in Houston, and the Christmas parade in Bryan-College
    2-6  Station; along the way, the group has earned a number of
    2-7  prestigious honors, including an invitation to perform at the
    2-8  Peruvian National Horse Show in Lima, a shared first place in the
    2-9  mounted division of the Kentucky Derby Pegasus Parade, and top
   2-10  honors in the mounted costume division of the San Antonio Fiesta
   2-11  Parade for six years; and
   2-12        WHEREAS, Having long served as goodwill ambassadors for the
   2-13  Lone Star State, the talented members of Texas Ladies Aside help to
   2-14  promote our proud Western heritage and exemplify the true spirit of
   2-15  Texas through their superb performances on horseback; their
   2-16  continuing contributions in this regard make them an ideal choice
   2-17  to represent Texas as the state's official equestrian drill team;
   2-18  now, therefore, be it
   2-19        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
   2-20  Legislature hereby designate Texas Ladies Aside as the official
   2-21  Equestrian Drill Team of Texas.