BUFFALO - A carousel - any carousel - seems irresistible.

When the magical sounds of the organ float through the air, people of all ages catch the familiar melody and draw closer to watch the parade of colorful miniature horses bobbing in rhythm around a platform. And, in a matter of minutes, most watchers become riders.

Visitors to the Cowboy Carousel in the Carousel Park complex on the east edge of Buffalo are in for a taste of the Old West as they visit the carousel with prancing mounts. These are historic horses of the West that buck, race and gallop. Riders become cowboys or Indians, depending upon the horse they choose. It's the only carousel in the world that offers that choice.

Steamboat, Wyoming's legendary bucking horse whose silhouette appears on the state's license plates, leads the parade and is a favorite mount of young cowboys, according to Emerson Scott, who owns and operates the complex with his wife, Ann.

In its place on the Cowboy Carousel, Steamboat wears a saddle similar to a 1903 Sears & Roebuck Cheyenne model.

The Cowboy Carousel features 24 horses whose colorful history captures the imagination. While there is no age or weight limit to ride one of these mounts, an adult is required to be with a child less than 3 feet tall.

Another carousel mount is patterned after Little Soldier, a paint pony ridden by one of General Custer's Crow Indian scouts in the Battle of the Little Bighorn. He is adorned with painted symbols which the Crow believed would assist and protect the horse in battle. The pony is saddled with a Hudson Bay blanket which was often used by American Indians.

The third horse, Comanche, was ridden by Capt. Miles Keogh of the 7th Cavalry, also during the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Comanche, the only survivor of the 7th Cavalry contingent, lived the next 17 years as a pet of the 7th at various posts. After his death, the horse was mounted and has been on display at the University of Kansas ever since. Comanche's saddle is a McClellan, standard military issue for the day, and beneath is a 7th Cavalry parade saddle blanket.

"We've had 'em all sizes and all ages," Scott said. "Our youngest was a 1-year-old, while our oldest was a little old lady who was celebrating her 101st birthday. Of course, she chose to do her riding on the carousel's open carriage."

Scott's delight in his innovative carousel is evident as he recalls his favorite riders.

"We've had kids that never want to get off, and a few that have to be coaxed on. We've had some would-be cowboys who really whoop it up aboard Steamboat, and others who just lose themselves in a fantasy world until the ride ends. And more than a few will walk around to give the horse a big hug before they leave."

Sometimes the riders or their parents wonder if the carousel goes too fast. The set speed on any carousel is 5 1/3 revolutions per minute. "Maybe they think it's going faster because I often start the music at a low level and increase the volume as the ride progresses," Scott said, smiling. However, the operator can control the length of the ride, which usually lasts about three minutes.

The Cowboy Carousel and its side attractions which include a mini-golf course, Ferris wheel, ice cream parlor and a gift shop, have been a popular spot for birthday parties, field trips for students, senior citizens and other groups as well as for tourist families and local residents.

From Jersey to Wyoming

The ice cream parlor, mini-golf course and gift shop were already in place in 1987, when the Scotts decided something more was needed to entertain the younger set. Emerson was inspired to look for a carousel after seeing a resurrection of the 1905 Burlington, Colo., carousel. At first, his idea was to get "just a small one," but even that idea was discarded when he realized that carousel horses had become highly collectible items and very expensive.

Then, a notice in the Amusement Business News that three carousels were to be auctioned off in two days at Ocean City, N.J., seemed to be worth investigating.

"When we got there, we discovered the carousel frame and each horse was to be sold separately," Scott said. "And that would make it way too expensive. Then I got to talking to Bill Mann, author of the book 'Painted Ponies,' who was there, and he suggested getting someone to carve new animals that would fit our area rather than buying the traditional ponies. That was it. The idea of having a herd of carousel horses that represented our Western history was born."

Scott bought the carousel frame at the auction and headed home, where he commissioned Bill Jennings, an award-winning master wood carver and Buffalo resident, to carve the horses. Jennings was eager to take the job, saying that he had always wanted to carve a carousel horse. Steamboat was his first creation, and the other two followed.

After the wood carvings were completed, the horses were reproduced in fiberglass by Buffalo resident Dave Loden. The sleigh and carriage wagon were built by Todd Windsor of Sheridan.

Restoration of the carousel proved to be a real challenge. Three local carpenters, Don and Dennis Boggs and Geoff Spiering, all of Buffalo, brought the carousel back to its original concept.

"The unique design in the framework had been painted and repainted so many times, it was unrecognizable," Scott said. Don and Dennis Boggs removed 26 coats of paint, stripping the framework bare.

"What we have now is a restored 1925 Spillman carousel," Scott said with pride.

The Tonawanda, N.Y.-manufactured carousel first became an attraction on Gillian's Fun Deck in Ocean City, N.J., where it spun for 60 years beginning in 1927. Scott's surprised at the number of people who recognize it as the same one they used to ride in Ocean City.

The Cowboy Carousel made its initial run in June 1988 and has continued to operate from Memorial Day through Labor Day (and sometimes longer) ever since.