How Sleepy Hollow High School's Viral Headless Horseman Football Entrance Works

SLEEPY HOLLOW, N.Y., Oct. 30, 2026 — Before home games, the Sleepy Hollow High School football team runs onto the field behind a big black horse and a cloaked rider. As USA TODAY put it, "There's one small thing missing: a head."

The team is nicknamed the Horsemen, after the ghost in Washington Irving's 1820 story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Videos of the entrance have racked up millions of views this fall.

The rider is a horse trainer and emergency-room nurse from Warwick, N.Y., USA TODAY reported. The trick is simple: a built-up collar and a black veil hide her head, so from the stands the costume appears to end at the shoulders. A family member has also taken a turn in the saddle, according to the Chronicle of the Horse.

The tradition goes back to about 2009. A longtime coach has said the team won the first game the horseman appeared, which is part of why it stuck. The school's athletic director once called it arguably "the most unique mascot in the country," Sports Illustrated reported in 2024.

The village leans into the legend. It is home to the Old Dutch Church and its burying ground, both featured in Irving's story, and Halloween has become one of its busiest times of year.