Colts Drum and Bugle Corps (previously known as Junior Dukes, Legionnaires, and Colt .45) is a World Class competitive junior
drum and bugle corps
Drum and bugle corps is a name used to describe several related musical ensembles.
* Drum and bugle corps (modern), a musical marching unit
* Drum and bugle corps (classic), musical ensembles that descended from military bugle and drum units retu ...
based in
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Il ...
. The Colts are a member of
Drum Corps International
Drum Corps International (DCI) is a governing body for junior drum and bugle corps responsible for developing and enforcing rules of competition, and for providing standardized adjudication at sanctioned drum and bugle corps competitions througho ...
, along with their feeder corps, the Colt Cadets, which participates in Open Class.
History
The corps was founded in 1963 as the Junior Dukes, a junior corps to the Dukes of Dubuque, a senior corps. The Junior Dukes were sponsored by the local
American Legion
The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militi ...
post and participated in parades. The corps performed for two years under that name before the Dukes of Dubuque disbanded in 1965.
After the disbandment of the senior corps, the name was switched to the Legionnaires, and in 1966, the corps began to accept female members. By 1967, the corps was large enough to create a feeder corps known as the Cadets, and the Legionnaires began touring in regional
VFW
The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), formally the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, is an organization of US war veterans, who, as military service members fought in wars, campaigns, and expeditions on foreign land, waters, or ...
competitions.
In 1969, the corps changed their name again, then to Colt .45. In 1971, the corps began to compete in
VFW
The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), formally the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, is an organization of US war veterans, who, as military service members fought in wars, campaigns, and expeditions on foreign land, waters, or ...
national competitions and began to rise in the ranks, earning as high as 5th place in 1973. That same year Colt .45 joined
Drum Corps International
Drum Corps International (DCI) is a governing body for junior drum and bugle corps responsible for developing and enforcing rules of competition, and for providing standardized adjudication at sanctioned drum and bugle corps competitions througho ...
, taking 28th in their first championship competition. Three years later, citing the negative association with both
firearms
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions).
The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes c ...
and
Colt 45 beer, the ".45" was dropped and the current naming convention was adopted.
The Colts continue to compete as a member of Drum Corps International, earning their first finals spot in 1993. They earned their highest ranking in 1995 at 9th place, and have since made a total of 9 finals placements, most recently in 2022.
Show summary (1973-2022)
''Source:''
References
External links
*
Colts Drum and Bugle Corpsin ''Encyclopedia Dubuque''
{{DCI Nav
Drum Corps International World Class corps