Lusay’s tale

It is a tale as old as time. Boy meets girl, boy grows comfortable with girl, and boy rides into the proverbial sunset with girl. However, this is not your typical tale of star-crossed lovers because the girl has a tail. She is a 14-year-old mule named Lusay Michelle Fontenot.
Lusay is the mode of transportation of choice for Ville Platte native Billy Joe Fontenot when he rides Mardi Gras. “I’ve always wanted a mule,” he said. “The reason I got her was to run Mamou.”
But, why a mule?
“They are more sure-footed,” replied Billy Joe. “They’re smoother and, when riding 18 to 20 miles a day that we’re doing, you don’t hurt the next day.”
“Also,” he went on to explain, “sometimes it can get a little bit dangerous and crazy when you have 100 or 150 horses and men in one little area. A mule will not pass anywhere that it thinks is not safe.”
This year marks the 12th year together for Billy Joe and Lusay. “I started her when she was two,” Billy Joe said. “She was probably too young. I should have started her, knowing what I know now, at three-years-old, but it was my first mule. She was fine though, and I took my time with her.”
Billy Joe described Lusay as a natural and said she became a Mardi Gras machine.
“The reason she’s a Mardi Gras machine is she doesn’t get tired, and she loves the atmosphere,” said Billy Joe. “She loves the music. She dances behind the French band that plays. That’s how I know she’s ready. When she cocks back and shakes her fannie, we’re ready to roll. She loves the excitement, and she loves people.”
Billy Joe continued, “Another reason she’s a Mardi Gras machine is there’s nothing she can’t move out her way in a pile when she wants to go somewhere.”
The atmosphere of Mardi Gras in Mamou appeals to Billy Joe as well. “To me,” he said, “it’s just the atmosphere. Everybody is excited. Everybody is happy. You see the younger generations coming up riding with you. It’s just a very fun day. Like we say on the ride, ‘You’re a king for the day.’”
He continued, “Going to each house, seeing all the parties, and all the gumbos that are cooking adds to the excitement. It’s just a blast all day long because of the camaraderie. You get to see guys you haven’t seen in a year. Usually, you don’t see them very often, but you know that one day you will see them all again and catch up on all the stories.”
The highlight of the day for Billy Joe is the dance at the end of the ride. As he said, “That to me is one of the best parts. I’m not too fast of a chicken chaser anymore. I try. My heart and soul are still there, but, I’m not a young buck anymore. I try my best, but I pick my spots and am smart when to chase.”
For Billy Joe riding this year in the midst of pandemic is a way of keeping the tradition alive.
“It shouldn’t be cancelled for anything,” he said. “COVID is a bad thing, but you got to keep living. You got to move on. COVID’s not going anywhere. We try to be careful around it, but this is our Cajun heritage. This is our Cajun tradition.”
“It’s something we have to get the younger generation involved in because if you don’t get the younger generation involved it will die out.”
COVID is not going to stop Billy Joe and Lusay this year. The only thing that will is God. He expressed,
“If there’s no ice on the road, we’ll be there,” he said. “We don’t care about the temperature. We don’t care about the rain. We’re rolling. Me and Lusay Michelle.”