The following two decades have been described as the golden age of the cavalry. Certainly it was, in terms of refining the relationship between horse and rider. Army horsemen and the training they received at the United States Army Cavalry School made them among the finest mounted soldiers in the world and the School's reputation ranked with the French and Italian Cavalry Schools. Horse shows, hunts and polo matches – long popular events on Army post – were a natural outgrowth of cavalry training.