George Stahl/Special to the Sun

This year, the Tournament of Roses Parade was held on Monday, Jan. 2. The parade started as America’s way to celebrate the New Year in 1890 through the street of Pasadena. In 1902, the Rose Bowl college football game was added to help offset the costs. The 2012 event, with the theme ‘Just Imagine,’ marks the 123rd consecutive parade.

In 1950, a seven-year-old boy living in Indianapolis, looked at his father while they were watching the Rose Parade on TV and said, “Someday, I’m going to be in that parade.” His father laughed and then, realizing the young man was serious, reminded him of just how far California was from Indiana. “Not to mention the horse you’ll need, and all of the stuff that goes with it,” his father quipped. Dr. Denny Rushton’s father, Art Rushton, was a foreman at the General Motors plant by day and what Denny described as a ‘horse trader’ in his spare time. On their 11 acres in Indianapolis, the senior Rushton, a Shriner, boarded eight to 10 horses at any given time. His son attributes learning “everything he knows about horses” from his father and training other peoples’ horses starting at an early age.

Rushton’s father told him that one of his dreams was to ride in the Rose Parade, too. Sadly, he never had the chance to make that dream a reality. But that seven-year-old boy has come through on his promise. This year, local dentist and Shriner, Denny Rushton proudly took his place in line atop his palomino, Hooker Sky.

Rushton rode with seven fellow Shriners of the Al Malaikah Temple (Temple of the Angels) in Los Angeles, where he has been a member for seven years. The Shriners ride in many parades to bring awareness of Shriners Hospitals for Children. Shriners Hospitals treat children with orthopedic conditions, spinal cord injuries, burns and cleft lip and palate. There are 22 hospitals throughout the United States, Canada & Mexico. These hospitals provide evaluations, hospital stays, surgery and outpatient care at no cost to the families. They ride so children can be healed.

In honor of what would have been Roy Rogers’ 100th birthday, the Rose Parade featured a float entitled, “Happy Trails.” The float was a compilation of Roy Rogers’ life and contributions to America. It was led by 100 Palominos and their riders, one of which was Rushton.

The Shriners hadn’t had a place in the parade for several years. Each time they put in their application for the Silver Mounted Patrol Unit to participate, they were not accepted. That is until this year when the committee of the Rose Parade was introduced to Dr. Rushton’s wife, Marie. Through some not-so-timid persistence and a lot of Marie’s Texas hutzpah, those seven riders from the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine were granted their place in front of the Roy Rogers float.

In her many conversations with the committee, Marie was quick to point out that in 1950, one of the newest members of that time to the Shriners was none other than Rogers himself. The famous cowboy rode with the unit in many parades, including the Rose Parade. What better tribute to the man than to have his fellow Shriners ride to honor his life. The committee had no choice but to see the logic in her argument, and the Silver Mounted Patrol, led by their President, Dr. Denny Rushton was accepted as part of the 82nd entry of 2012’s Tournament of Roses Parade.

Art Rushton passed away in 1983. Denny, however, said that he knew his father was looking down on him that day. Even though they were there that Monday morning to honor the memory of Roy Rogers, Rushton said that he thought of his father during the entire five and one-half-mile ride, and that he was riding as a tribute to Art, to honor his promise to him as his father and a fellow Shriner. It may have taken 62 years for that seven year old boy to make good on that promise, but he did it in a big way. Just Imagine.