Explosions of red, yellow and green are lighting the sky. Thousands in the audience shout and cheer on the action. Loud music plays from the speakers and the actors yell while they run across the set. Its an unnatural place for a horse to be: concrete walkways, which are ice to a hooved horse; sequences that involve running around tight turns with only a few inches left between sharp metal scenery; loud noises and bright lights. Staying calm, especially if youre a horse, isnt easy.

One of the Happy Canyon Night Shows most famous horses, an overo paint by the name of Cataldo, did just that for 19 years.

Cataldo was born in 1982 in Orofino, Idaho. At the age of 3, the horse had his first role in the Happy Canyon Pageant. Then, in 1994, Cataldo was made the lead horse in the show, a role he held until his last year in 2004.

Theres a lot to remember about him, Rusty Black, Cataldos owner, said. I trusted him implicitly. You just knew hed get you there. He could be so brave and face anything.

Black recalled taking Cataldo on a multi-day 100-mile ride where Cataldo would outwalk the lead horses again and again. It was just so hard to keep him back, she said. The fact that he just walked so fast, he almost made it grueling.

Cataldo also had a sense of humor.

He was never a real people horse. He demanded that he be taken care of first, Black said. If I dared to take care of one of the horses first, he just raised Cain in his stall.

In his 19 years of riding in Happy Canyon, Cataldo had only one rider Lance Dick.

Hes got his own goofy little attitude, Dick recalled. Over the years, Cataldo and Dick had their fair share of mishaps.

One night in 1993, Cataldo was rounding a corner at speed and hit a piece of scenery, sending Dick flying. Dick had a few bruises, but Cataldo had punctured his abdomen.

He just stopped and hit the scenery and I just went over, Dick recalled.

The horse ended up getting 24 stitches and a drain tube, but still performed the next two nights without a hitch.

Dr. Corey was amazed at how good he was. That horse just stood there and let him stitch him, Black said.

In 2005, Cataldo got cancer and died before he could perform in Happy Canyon for the 20th consecutive year.

Dick, who is still involved in the pageant, smiled as he recalled his days with the horse.

Im sure glad. Its just an honor to have been able to do that.