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The Reining Square Dancers

Tribune photo by JIM REED

From left, Jeanine Saddler, Tammy Hansen, Nola Moon and Angie Mulholland practice their dancing-on-horseback routine.

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By JOHN CEBALLOS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 2, 2008

SUNDANCE - SUNDANCE - Square dancing is one of the most popular types of dance in the country largely because almost anyone can do it, if they put their feet to it.

However, not everyone can pull off the dance while riding a horse.

That's precisely what members of the Arcadia All-Florida Saddle Club quadrille team have been doing for more than 60 years.

"Basically it's square dancing on horseback," said Nola Moon, a team member. "We also move very fast when we're out there. I like to say we move 'cowboy fast.'"

The quadrille is a dance that came to prominence in the 17th century and is a precursor to traditional square dancing.

Moon, a Sundance resident, has been a member of the team for 22 years along with Bob, her husband of 26 years and a team captain.

The team is comprised of 16 members - the maximum amount of riders who perform during each show - and two to six alternates.

Half of the team's members are based in South Shore - mostly Sundance, Ruskin and Apollo Beach - and the other half is based in Arcadia, where the team was founded in 1946 by Charles S. Hill and Gerald Taylor.

"The way I understand it, the team came about because a bunch of ranchers got together and said, 'Let's have a little bit of fun,'" Moon said.

Since its inception, the quadrille has consisted of eight couples with matching gear on their horses and each couple wearing matching shirts and jeans.

The present incarnation of the team performs a 10- to 12-minute routine backed by a square dance caller and country-flavored songs such as "Cotton-Eyed Joe" and "Flirting with Disaster."

"Before I joined the team, I'd see them practicing, and I kept watching them do what they do, and I didn't think I could do it at first," said Tammy Hansen.

The team has performed in rodeos all over the state and beyond, including performances in Kentucky.

"Arcadia alone used to have about three or four rodeos every year, but it went down to two after Hurricane Charlie," Moon said.

The team doesn't currently have any gigs lined up.

That hasn't stopped the team from hopping on their horses - almost every member owns the horse they use for performances - and staying sharp.

"It's not just us out there," Hansen said. "Our horses are incredibly athletic. I think a lot of people just think, 'It's a horse; it'll just do what you need it to do.'"

The South Shore members of the team are practicing every other week in Sundance, usually on the 10-acre Moon property.

"It's hot outside right now, but this stuff is very addictive," said Angie Mulholland, who has been a member of the team for three years.

When gigs were plentiful, team members would meet on Sundays in Arcadia for practice, and South Shore members would gather in Sundance during the week for an additional day of work.

"Our routines can look a little dangerous from the audience, and sometimes it gets a little close out there, but all of our moves are very choreographed," Moon said. "When we're out there performing for the crowd, it's amazing."

Reporter John Ceballos can be reached at (813) 865-1555 or jceballos@tampatrib.com.

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