Story by David Hurst, photos by Christy Vikander
DEL MAR– Spectators at the US Polo Association’s Spreckels Cup event on Sunday, Sept. 25, were treated at intermission to an exhibition by the The Victorian Roses Ladies Riding Society featuring Grossmont’s own Jamie Gassert. As John Spreckels, the sugar magnate himself, might have said, “Sweet!”
Gassert is Grossmont College’s graphics coordinator. You may have seen her work on this semester’s catalogue cover commemorating Grossmont’s 50-year anniversary. Santee residents can thank her for designing the seal for their city. In her free time she is an accomplished horse driver. At Del Mar, wearing a flowered bonnet, she drove her elegant Arabian horse, Mariah. It clearly was not her first rodeo.
The Victorian Roses Ladies Riding Society (www.victorianroses.org ) of skilled riders and drivers perform at numerous parades, rodeo ceremonies, as well as skit competitions, old West Shows, and costume contests. They also have a charity called Saving Horses Inc. which sponsors many of their events including the one at Del Mar. When asked for a description of the VRLRS, Gassert explained that her group attempts to historically preserve the feeling of the 1880s. The costumes worn by the VRLRS depict the 1880’s era all the way down to the material used. “No synthetics,” says Gassert.
The women are dressed from head to toe in 1880’s style hats, dresses, gloves, and shoes. The horses, which come in all breeds, colors, and sizes, including a miniature horse owned by Gassert, are decorated in roses and ribbons down their manes. Gassert also noted that the 1880’s were pre-automobile so the horse and carriage, such as the one driven by Gassert, represented the only means of transportation. To emphasize the rose theme all the riders and drivers wear rose-colored outfits. They also have aliases with Rose being a common last name. Gassert goes by the name Priscilla Rose in honor of her 11th great grandmother, Priscilla Alden, who was a passenger on the famed Mayflower.
The VRLRS also has performed in the Tournament of Roses Parades which Gassert called highlights of her career. “It was a dream of mine since I was a little kid,” she said.“ My horse Barney (an Appaloosa) and I got in on our first try,” she said. “You have to apply (for the Tournament of Roses Parade), you can’t just go in and say I’m going.”
She credited Grossmont photographer Stephen Harvey for helping her get the pictures she needed to qualify for the event. She has appeared in a total of three Rose Parades. Her next big career highlight was a Night of the Horse event at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.. It was her final event with her beloved and soon-to-retire Barney, who went in style as Gassert rode in the carriage. “We didn’t walk or trot in, we galloped into the arena!”
The VRLRS has appeared in the nationally-televised Equest Fest, The Mother Goose Parade in El Cajon, as well as events in Coronado, and San Juan Capistrano. At an event in Campo called “The Round Up,” Gassert’s Horse and Carriage carried the Grand Marshall into the arena for the opening ceremonies.
Gassert currently owns 2 Arabian horses, 3 miniature horses, 1 Welsh pony and a miniature donkey. “Is that enough,” Gassert asks with a curious chuckle. She is a resident of Descanso, but is originally from Goshen, Ohio. It was clear that horses were going to be a major part of her life. When she was 12 she lived on a 20-acre farm and begged her parents for a horse. After her parents gave in they asked her if she wanted a cart and harness for her horse. She taught herself how to hook her horse up to the cart and drove off. “I could have died,” laughs Gassert. In high school, the horse was the mascot at football games and Gassert would ride her during intermissions. It was that time in her life she perfected the skill of teaching horses how to drive the carriages. She met her future husband through horse events.
, Jamie Gassert had transformed into Priscilla Rose and sat comfortably in her carriage driving Mariah. Milton, her miniature horse, was driven in a smaller carriage behind Priscilla Rose. They drove around the field in rehearsed formations, weaving in and out of the horses being ridden by other Roses as elegant music played in the background.
Both horse and driver looked the part, which would have made the people of the 1880’s so proud. The capacity crowd, young and old, were fixated on the show which took place on the football field-sized polo grounds. A single engine plane topped off the performance with a flyover followed by a big ovation from the crowd.
After the drive, Gassert was proud of Mariah who had never performed in a Polo Grounds setting. She was happy how she handled the unexpected flyover, citing a St. Patrick’s Day parade near Lindbergh Field as a good experience that may have helped Mariah to stay calm. “She did very well,” said Gassert. She also gave credit to her mini horse Milton, who also performed well.
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Hurst is a student in Media Comm 132. He may be contacted at [email protected]
