"First Call" is a

bugle call A bugle call is a short tune, originating as a military signal announcing scheduled and certain non-scheduled events on a military installation, battlefield, or ship. Historically, bugles, drums, and other loud musical instruments were used fo ...

with three distinct meanings.

U.S. military use

At a U.S.

military installation A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. A military base always provides accommodations for ...

it is a pre-

reveille "Reveille" ( , ), called in French "Le Réveil" is a bugle call, trumpet call, drum, fife-and-drum or pipes call most often associated with the military; it is chiefly used to wake military personnel at sunrise. The name comes from (or ), th ...

"courtesy" signal, sounded around 05:50, originally to assemble the trumpeters to deliver the reveille that would be forthcoming at 06:00. Some locations also sound it a few minutes before "Retreat" (lowering the flag at the end of the day). In other military contexts it may be used (e.g. 5 minutes) prior to sounding "Assembly" for any particular formation.

Navy use

On ships of the U.S. Navy, "First Call" is sounded at 0755, five minutes ahead of "Morning Colors" (raising the national ensign), and 5 minutes before "Evening Colors" (lowering the national ensign). In the absence of a bugle, the word is passed, "First call, first call to colors." The same ceremony takes place on shore establishments but not on ships underway.

Horse racing

At a

horse race Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

, it is a signal that all mounts should be at the

paddock A paddock is a small enclosure for horses. In the United Kingdom, this term also applies to a field for a general automobile racing competition, particularly Formula 1. Description In Canada and the United States of America, a paddock is a small ...

exit in order to proceed to the track to begin the post parade. It started to be used at horse races prior to the 1860s. The tune is usually sounded by a bugler five to ten minutes before the scheduled start time of the race. The call serves a similar purpose in

dog racing Greyhound racing is an organized, competitive sport in which greyhounds are raced around a track. There are two forms of greyhound racing, track racing (normally around an oval track) and coursing; the latter is now banned in most countries. Tr ...

. In

betting Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three elem ...

, it is the signal for the closing of any bets, with those being placed after the bugle is called considered a late bet; those who place a late bet may be disqualified or even thrown out of the race track or the casino. When "First call" is used for this purpose, it is usually referred to the "Call to the Post". \header \score

References

External multimedia

MP3 fileRealMedia file
FAS.org {{Bugle calls Horse racing Sporting fanfares Bugle calls