Alpha & Omega Mounted Patrol Rides at Phish Concert.

SOUTHLAKE, Texas, July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alpha & Omega (A&O) Mounted Patrol caps its Summer Tour 2003 with Phish in Limestone, Maine, at the IT concert this weekend, August 1-3.

Some 60,000 campers will assemble for IT. A&O Troopers will assist in parking campers for maximum use of land, patrol campsites and other concert areas, and perform crowd management duties. These duties have been perfected over the summer and during prior Phish concerts.

Phish music and camping festivals became an early model for large music festivals in the United States. Concert planners build mock cities with roads, movie theaters, potable water, multiple stages, retail centers, and varied entertainment. The A&O mounted patrol is a popular and effective means of crowd management for these festivals. Uniformed riders sit atop highly trained horses with a wide field of vision to spot potential problems. Over the years fans have become accustomed to the friendly and helpful Troopers. A&O has joined Phish at the Clifford Ball, the Great Went, LemonWheel, New Year's Eve at the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation and other concerts.

"We are excited to be joining Phish again at the Loring Air Force Base site in Maine," said Frank Keller, president and CEO of Alpha & Omega. "Over the years we have developed what we hope is a mutual respect between the fans and A&O Troopers and their horses. That respect helps us keep the peace and maintain crowd control for the safety of all."

The appearance represents a "full circle" for the mounted enforcement unit. A&O began its concert division with Woodstock 94 where Phish band members first encountered them. They were invited by Phish to the Clifford Ball concert in 1996. This classic Phish music festival launched what has become an annual tour for A&O elite riders.

During Summer Tour 2003, riders and horses collectively traveled 150,000 miles to protect music lovers nationwide. The Summer Tour 2003 included the hugely successful Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee and concludes with the Berkfest Music and Camping Festival in mid-August.

Based in Southlake, Texas, Alpha & Omega is the nation's oldest and largest mounted patrol enforcement unit. Uniformed Troopers also provide crowd management at amphitheaters, commercial business districts, arenas, and other mass gatherings across the country.

CONTACT: Linda Akins of Alpha & Omega, [phone]

Web site: http://www.mountedpatrol.com/