This year the Cody Stampede parades will be honoring a group that has been integral to the event for decades.

The Cody Stampede Parade committee announced Wednesday it is honoring its own red-shirted Cody Stampede Parade Outriders as Grand Marshals for this year's event, the theme of which is “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys."

The Outriders, a group of people mounted on horses who flank the parade as it proceeds through downtown Cody, has a distinguished history, as parade committee president Debbie Herman noted in the release. Bun Sporer had for decades organized and produced the parade and one day asked his friend Speed Spiegelberg to organize a mounted horse patrol group to provide safety to the parade spectators and participants. The two go way back in the history of the parade. 

In 1976, the year John Wayne was the Grand Marshal, Spiegelberg's daughter Betty Cowan said it was also the first year there was an organized photo of the Outrider group and that year they purchased their own red shirts — Cowan's mom purchased their marshall badges.  The Outriders also bought their own red, white and blue saddle blankets to help make them noticeable as a unified mounted group. 

1n 1996 Speed retired from heading up the Outriders for over 20 years and it was turned over to Bill Sandvold who was in charge until 2017 when he turned it over to Lee Livingston along with Lee’s brother Wes.

"The Cody Stampede Outriders have been the eyes and ears for the Cody Stampede Parade Committee for decades," Herman said in the release. "The parade committee is honoring this group and their dedicated commitment to our parades and to our community as this year’s Grand Marshals. A recognition, long overdue! Look for them at the parade and let them all know how much they are appreciated."