James S. Wood / arizona daily star

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Fresh bouquets lay at the foot of the small wooden cross at the corner of South Park Avenue and East Irvington Way on Thursday that memorializes 5-year-old Brielle Boisvert, who was killed during last year's La Fiesta de los Vaqueros parade.

Brielle was killed when horses pulling a wagon behind her were spooked and slammed into her mount. She fell into the street and was crushed by the wagon's wheels.

The tragedy defined the 2007 Rodeo Parade. Our community questioned whether a parade involving so many horses, wagons, buggies and excited crowds was too dangerous — and whether or how it should continue.

We congratulate the rodeo officials, city officials, Tucson police and many others who over the past year developed new policies and procedures to try to assure that the parade could be continued safely.

The parade on Thursday came off without a hitch (well, except for those on the wagons). It is a vibrant thread- in the fabric of our community and we're grateful to see it continue.

To keep from frightening the horses, organizers banned pedestrians from the streets, added more than 100 police officers and even held a practice session to identify any horse too edgy to participate.

Measures were taken to minimize harm done by any horse that startled, too. Younger children rode in helmets as adults walked alongside their mounts. Teams pulling buggies and wagons (including a yellow one pulled by a team of donkeys that bore Tucson City Council members, perching on hay bales) were accompanied by handlers walking alongside.

We liked the Southwest Airlines wagon, a tube-shaped tent with a back "rudder." There were three porthole windows on each side of the tent and six little disembodied hands popped in and out to wave at spectators.

New York City parades have tickertape and Tucson has, well — let's just say all those marching bands had to keep on their toes Thursday to keep it off their toes.