Cheerleaders perform in London

How did you spend your New Year's Day?

Whatever the activity was, it probably wasn't as exciting as what two Tucumcari High School cheerleaders did in London.

Senior Mariah Ruvalcaba-Vasquez, also the school's cheer captain, and sophomore Alan Jimenez were part of a large group of American cheerleaders called Varsity Spirit that performed at London's New Year's Day Parade in front of an estimated 10,000 people.

Ruvalcaba-Vasquez and Jimenez said they qualified to be a part of the London team during a Universal Cheerleaders Association tryout camp in August. From there, they raised funds to help pay for the trip. They said they also got plenty of support from cheer coach Megan McKinney and faculty member Sharon Latouf.

Of about 300 Varsity Spirit cheerleaders who went to London, about 10 hailed from New Mexico.

The two flew to London shortly after Christmas and spent eight days in the United Kingdom's capital. They were assigned two chaperones, and both had less a day to learn their routines for the parade. Ruvalcaba-Vasquez said her group had only about 90 minutes together on New Year's Eve to rehearse.

Ruvalcaba-Vasquez and Jimenez said they became chilly waiting for the parade to start on New Year's Day amid temperatures of 37 degrees.

But once they began the three-mile parade route and performed their dance or stunt routines that would total nine performances in front of various grandstands, they warmed up quickly. The parade lasted about four hours, they said.

"It was really fun," Ruvalcaba-Vasquez said of the experience. "You could tell they worked hard together."

"They were the top of the top where they came from," Jimenez added, noting the extensive screening of the cheerleaders made it easier for all those involved, despite so little rehearsal.

It wasn't all dance and stunts during their time in London. Ruvalcaba-Vasquez and Jimenez said they visited royal family sites such as Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and St. Paul's Cathedral, where Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were married in 1981.

They also went to the crosswalk at Abbey Road where the famed photograph of the Beatles' album cover for "Abbey Road" was shot.

They also purchased souvenirs for friends a family, including a snowglobe with a knight inside and miniature of the landmark Big Ben clock tower.