Left: President Reagan treating his horse El Alamein, who was a gift from Mexican President Jose Lopez Portillo, to a carrot after a trail ride at his California ranch in 1987. Right: When he was home in California, President Reagan never missed his daily rides aboard El Alamein, accompanied by Secret Service agent Barbara Riggs on Dunnie and his two dogs, Victory (front) and Freebo.
casionally rode in Rock Creek Park, in the heart of the city. War II battle in North Africa, wasn’t the easiest or quietest “He’d go out the back and escape the press and get on ride. In fact, after Reagan’s cancer surgery, his wife Nancy a horse,” said Riggs, who lives in Middleburg, Va. “There (knowing he wouldn’t give up riding completely) insisted would be people hiking or in the creek, and the reaction he ride another horse for a while—so Secret Service agents of people was always interesting when they realized the located a national pleasure champion from a nearby ranch, president was there.” whose owners loaned President Reagan their valuable He similarly escaped at Camp David, riding out the mount. back gate into the mountains of Catoctin State Park. The Secret Service initially rented horses from a dude “No one ever knew he was there,” said Riggs. ranch near Rancho Del Cielo in order to accompany Whenever he returned to his Rancho Del Cielo, a President Reagan on his rides. But once it became evident 700-acre ranch on a ridge that they’d be spending a lot of overlooking the Pacific Ocean time in the saddle in the future, and Santa Ynez Valley, north of they bought their own horses and Santa Barbara, Calif., President kept them at the Alamo Pintado “In D.C. everything is so Reagan rode daily. He usually Veterinary Clinic in the Santa formal, but when you were rode El Alamein, a gray AngloYnez Valley when Reagan wasn’t in riding with him, you were Arabian given to him by former California. President Jose Lopez Portillo of Dr. Doug Herthel and his wife, right alongside him.” Mexico. Sue, owners of the clinic, were also —Barbara Riggs Riggs said that El Alamein, avid endurance riders, who frenamed after the decisive World quently competed in the Tevis Cup. C H RO N O F H O R S E .CO M
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