Dale Rickards A youthful horse lover who grew up to become a horse soldier in World War II and a mounted police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, Dale Rickards is hanging up his spurs-so to speak.

Rickards has served as the equestrian unit's organizing chair for the Conejo Valley Days annual parade for nearly 20 years. He's leaving his post but will continue as an advisor through his membership in the Kiwanis Club of Thousand Oaks, the parade's organizers. On June 29, he'll celebrate his 85th birthday.

The native of Wichita, Kan. developed a love of horses at an early age, spending time with the draft horses used by visiting circuses when they set up for business on a site near his home.

During World War II Rickards joined the Army, serving with the U.S. Cavalry until the "mechanized cavalry" or armored branch replaced all combat equestrian units. Rickards remained in the military through Korea, and upon discharge joined the Los Angeles Police Department.

While primarily a street patrol officer, he joined the mounted police patrol and for 25 years was one of the police department's relatively few mounted officers. He did mounted detail on weekends, much of the time in the Hansen Dam Recreation Area.

Between World War II and Korea, Rickards was stationed at Camp Roberts, about 200 miles north of Thousand Oaks. When traveling home on leave to the San Fernando Valley he often had a lengthy wait for the bus in Thousand Oaks. It was during these stopovers he became familiar with the Conejo Valley.

In the 1950s Rickards bought 12 acres in Decker Canyon near the junction of Westlake Boulevard and Mulholland Highway in the hills of Malibu. As a mounted police officer and as a "local cowboy" Rickards met and became acquainted with many of Hollywood's celluloid cowboys.

Eventually he acquired an equestrian amusement concession in the Hansen Dam Recreation Area and operated the stagecoach and equestrian units.

Rickards began buying circus equipment, primarily wagons and motion picture props of all kinds for a business he formed called "Rent The West From Rickards." H e worked with Louis Goebel and bought the Goebel col-lection's last circus wagon. Once displayed at Goebel's Jungleland in Thousand Oaks, the wagon is today on Rickards' property.

Rickards' nephew Bob Rickards, a member of the Thousand Oaks Kiwanis Club, is an artist known for his Western art. He borrowed many of his uncle's props for inspiration. Bob Rickards set up several booths at Conejo Valley Days' Chili CookOff, displaying many western props. Ultimately his uncle joined Kiwanis and began lining up horses and equestrian units for the parade.

Rickards and his wife Dee and various pets, including two horses, continue to host many events at their ranch in the Malibu hills.

This year the parade is on Sat., May 6. Rickards may be riding in one of his wagons or in the Wells Fargo stagecoach.