![Equestrian parade from the Balogun Kuku family at Ojude Oba 2025. [Pulse Nigeria]](https://image.api.sportal365.com/process//smp-images-production/pulse.ng/10062025/885aabe1-d162-4fb2-a313-9175397a8337.jpg?operations=autocrop(1042:580))
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The equestrian parade at the Ojude Oba festival held on June 8, 2025 is not a case of mere showmanship but a presentation of the century-old honour and heritage.
What many may not know is that the horse riding display at Ojude Oba is part and parcel of the Ijebu tradition, especially from ages back when royal families and warriors were accorded their well-deserved respect.
The Baloguns, the Eleshins: their equestrian parade on the pavilion is a symbol of strength, unity, and most importantly, power.
Power because their roots run deep and their place in history remains undefeated, for as long as they continue to show up and display their glorious heritage at the King's Forecourt.
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All of them understand the assignment. The crowd loves the presentation; the energy feeds the crowd to cheer even further. It's pure tradition at its finest.
READ ALSO: Inside Ojude Oba: The festival that bridges royalty, faith, and fashion
The Baloguns and the families
"For us, we ride as a royal family; unlike the Baloguns: they ride as warriors. So we ride with style and that's the difference," Princess Adeshile, who rode with the Iboriaran Family, told Pulse Nigeria.
The Baloguns are descendants of the departed warriors of old. Their parade is accompanied with a grand spectacle, carrying along an army and a group of supporters who occasionally blow whistles and shoot into the air in reverence of their shared historical legacy.
Ojude Oba's horse riding cultural parade is, according to Eweso Online, beyond perfomance; it is procession.
Community Leader in Ijebu Ode, Alhaji Hakeem Quadri, said to Pulse that it is a must for the Baloguns to dazzle with the horse riding display, noting that it is a celebratory affair because the Ijebu culture finds its strength in communality.
The families also display their horse riding prowess in coordination and matching attire, oozing heightened composure and immaculate aura.
They shine effortlessly because noble blood runs in their veins — royalty doesn't have to do too much to be noticed.
The crowd adores them and they don't fail to give a show. It's their culture. It's their pride. It's their legacy. They belong and so they must represent.
Ojude Oba is their heritage, especially in a time of mass migration and westernisation: nothing could be more empowering than this beautiful identity.
The equestrian parade honours the ancestors and unites the youths for a stronger and richer preservation of legacy.
READ ALSO: Style & Prestige: How Ojude Oba became Nigeria’s biggest cultural fashion runway