Rough Riders
On the morning of September 15, 1898, the regimental property including all equipment, firearms and horses were turned back over to the United States government. The soldiers said one last good-bye to each other and the United States First Volunteer Cavalry, Roosevelt's Rough Riders, was disbanded at last. Before they all returned to their respective homes across the country, Colonel Roosevelt gave them a short speech that commended their efforts in the war, expressed his profound pride and reminded them that, although heroes, they would have to integrate back into normal society and work as hard as everyone else. Many of the men were unable to gain their jobs back from when they lost them before leaving for war. Some, due to illness or injury, were unable to work for a long time. Money was donated by a number of wealthier supporters of the regiment and used to supplement the well being of the needy veterans, many of whom were too proud to accept the help.
A first reunion of the Rough Riders was held in the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas, New Mexico in 1899. Roosevelt, then Governor of New York, attended this event. In 1948, fifty years after the Rough Riders disbandment, the U.S. Post office issued a commemorative stamp in their honor and memory. The stamp depicts Captain William Owen "Bucky" O'Neill, who was killed in action while leading troop A at the Battle of San Juan Hill, July 1, 1898. The Rough Riders continued to have annual reunions in Las Vegas until 1967, when the sole veteran to attend was Jesse Langdon. He died in 1975.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Rider fans refer to themselves as the best fans in the league and were ranked the rowdiest fans of any sports team in Canada by MSN Sports, ranking ahead of the Canada men's national junior ice hockey team and the Montreal Canadiens. The team is third behind the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs for merchandise sales of Canadian sports teams, and in 2009 the team played in 5 of the 6 most viewed games on television as well as breaking a ratings record for the West Final against the Calgary Stampeders and a Grey Cup ratings record of 43% of the national population against the Montreal Alouettes. According to a recent survey (July 2015), the Riders are considered the third strongest sports Brand in Canada. The Riders typically bring an upsurge in attendance at all or most of their various away venues, drawing crowds of their own fans. The province of Saskatchewan went through tough economic times during the 1980s and 1990s and as a result thousands of Rider fans left the province for work, particularly to Alberta. In Edmonton and especially Calgary, Rider fans make up to half the crowd, and many violent clashes have resulted in recent years between Roughrider and Stampeder fans. The Riders have led road attendance in the CFL every year this decade, and local support has skyrocketed in recent years due to the on-field success of the club, including the first sold-out season in 2008. The Roughriders attendance record came in 1995 in a win over the Calgary Stampeders as 55,438 (more than 25% of Regina's population) fans watched on. This crowd was attainable that year because of the increased capacity of Taylor Field in preparation of hosting the Grey Cup. Rider fans are also known for dressing up in unique and often bizarre Rider-themed costumes, the most popular being the watermelon helmet. The Roughriders have a unique fan-base that are passionate and engaging. They are the only CFL football team with a fan-based analytic website, dedicated to fan-based opinion and perception. Beginning with the 2011 season, Insightrix Research Inc. has conducted a poll after each Roughrider game, surveying a random selection of fans from the SaskWatch Research online community. Each week, fans weigh in on the Riders’ game performance and predictions for the rest of the season. These predictions are compared against other Regions in Saskatchewan, titled "Battle of the Regions."