1978 Texas Fourth of July Celebration: Monkey on a Horse's Pool Dive

An Old-Fashioned Fourth of July

• ☀️ The celebration in Shady Park, Texas, offered an old-fashioned Fourth of July experience, complete with food, drink, and entertainment.
• 🥵 Many attendees sought ways to beat the intense heat, with long lines forming for swimming and popular spots including shade trees and ice chests.

Entertainment and Celebrities

• 🎤 The event featured various forms of entertainment, including live music, horse races, daredevil boat rides, and amusements for children.
• 🌟 Special guests included a Bicentennial baby, a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, and politicians, adding to the festive atmosphere.

The Star Performance

• 🐒 The highlight of the event was a monkey riding a pony (mistakenly referred to as mules in one instance) that performed a 30-foot dive into a pool.
• 🏊 Despite the pony's initial reluctance, the dive was a success for both the monkey and the pony, drawing significant attention.
• 🏆 Trainers noted that the 23-year-old mule involved in the act performed because she enjoyed the jumps.

Capturing the Day

• 📸 Charles Duncan of Channel 8 News captured the old-fashioned holiday fun and the efforts people made to cope with the heat.