Sergeant York (formerly Allaboard Jules) is a retired horse that was previously owned by the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

. An

American Standardbred The Standardbred is an American horse breed best known for its ability in harness racing where they compete at either a trot or pace. Developed in North America, the Standardbred is recognized worldwide, and the breed can trace its bloodlines to ...

, Sergeant York was foaled April 25, 1991 and reared as a

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, 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 bas ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

under the name Allaboard Jules. During his racing career, he won five of the 23 races in which he participated at tracks in

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

and

. In 1997, Allaboard Jules entered military service and was renamed Sergeant York, in honor of

Alvin York Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), also known by his rank as Sergeant York, was an American soldier who was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. He received the Medal of Honor fo ...

. He was posted to the

Military District of Washington The United States Army Military District of Washington (MDW) is one of nineteen major commands of the United States Army. It is headquartered in Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C. The missions of the units in the Military District of Was ...

as part of the United States Army Caisson Platoon of the

3rd Infantry Regiment The 3rd Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Army. It currently has three active battalions, and is readily identified by its nickname, The Old Guard, as well as Escort to the President. The regimental motto is (from ...

where he served as a

caparisoned horse A caparison is a cloth covering laid over a horse or other animal for protection and decoration. In modern times, they are used mainly in parades and for historical reenactments. A similar term is horse-trapper. The word is derived from the Lat ...

. Sergeant York filled this role, among other occasions, at the

state funeral of Ronald Reagan On June 5, 2004, Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States and the 33rd governor of California, died after having Alzheimer's disease for over a decade. Reagan was the first former U.S. president to die in 10 years since Richard Ni ...

. Sergeant York retired in June 2022 at the age of 31 after 25 years of service in the

and is now residing in the Equine Advocates animal sanctuary. Sergeant York was awarded an “Animals in War & Peace Distinguished Service Medal” from members of Congress at a ceremony on March 8, 2023.

References

{{Ronald Reagan Ceremonial horses Individual warhorses