Buffalo Soldiers Doing Equestrian Training in the Riding Hall at West Point

Recognized for their expertise in riding, African American cavalry noncommissioned officers of the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments, also known as the Buffalo Soldiers, were stationed at West Point to serve in the Academy’s Detachment of Cavalry and teach Academy cadets military horsemanship. Starting in 1907, the detachment became a “colored unit” composed of African American soldiers at a time when the military was still racially segregated. The Buffalo Soldiers instructed cadets until 1947.