Black Gold

The Black Gold drum and bugle corps was founded in 1985 by Tim Petro, a Tulsa fireman, as “Oklahoma’s Musical Ambassadors”. In 1986, time was spent organizing the corps and offering winter camps to introduce the activity. Their first “make-shift” uniform consisted of old Broken Arrow school band tops, Union school hats and plumes and pants from a Kansas corps.

The corps took the field in competition for the first time in 1987, participating at their first DCI championships, placing 14^th in the “Class A/60” preliminary. Black Gold, under its new corps director Alan Muggenborg, continued its rise in 1988 with a fourth-place finish in the “Class A” championships, winning high visual, high percussion, and best color guard honors. In 1989, the corps rose to a third-place finish at the DCI “Class A” finals, narrowly missed placing in DCI's elite “Top 25” with a 26th place finish. Alan Muggenborg was voted “Corps Director” of the year by his peers. The next year, the corps gained valuable experience, competing at the DCI East and South prelims and became a quarterfinalist, achieving 1990 DCI membership status with its 25th place finish. 

The corps continued it’s standing among the elite ranks, joining in the 1991 “Open Class” division of the US Open, placing 6th in the finals and finished 12th at both the DCI East and DCI Mid-America championships. They reached 24th place in the quarterfinals of the DCI championships, maintaining their “Top 25” status. In 1992, the corps competed at the DCI South finals, earning an 11th place position and qualified to a third consecutive “Top 25” standing with a 23rd place ranking at the DCI quarterfinals. In 1993, their last season, they competed at the DCI South prelims (14th) and DCI Southwestern (12th) championships. The corps finished season in 29th place at the DCI quarterfinals. 

Despite many long hours for several years trying to get back on the field through fund-raising efforts, Black Gold would never march again. The drum corps disbanded in 1994 but the organization remained active as an indoor percussion ensemble for a few years and a prominent winter guard.

www.theshop.net/blackgold; Paul Legault (DCX)