The second wave departs from the starting line during

The second wave departs from the starting line during a Spur Ride hosted by 1st Squadron, 172nd Cavalry Regiment (Mountain), 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain), Vermont Army National Guard, at the Camp Ethan Allen Training Site in Jericho, Vt., Sept. 6, 2020. Teams must carry rucks and sustainment supplies around a designated route during the first leg of the race. The, “Order of the Spur,” is a long-standing, U.S. Army Cavalry tradition that Troopers may join after passing evaluations set by the command or by serving in combat with a Cavalry unit. The Spur Ride is the culminating event of the Order’s evaluation sequence. Traditionally, Troopers receive spurs from a sponsor and become Master Spur Holders upon gaining both silver and gold spurs. In some units, gold spurs are awarded for combat inductions while silver spurs represent completion of the Spur Ride. Within the tradition, spurs hold similar prestige for the Cavalry as the Expert Infantryman Badge holds for U.S. Army Infantry. (U.S. Army National Guard photograph by Staff Sgt. Barbara Pendl)