Following their finals run at the 2018 DCI World Championships, Santa Clara Vanguard drum major Carl Huang told the corps that they weren’t just members of Vanguard, but that they were “home.” They were Santa Clara. 

And for the first time since 1999, the Founders Trophy will call Santa Clara home.

Vanguard is one of drum corps most cherished and beloved corps. Since DCI’s founding, SCV has won 7 world championships.

In 1972, Santa Clara nearly took home the inaugural DCI World Championship in Whitewater, Wisconsin. After prelims, they were the #1 seed with a significant 2.700 point lead over the Blue Stars and the Anaheim Kingsmen. 

However the following night, the Vanguard fell to 3rd and the Anaheim Kingsmen won the first DCI World Championship.

But, it didn’t take long for SCV to get their first world championship.

In 1973, Vanguard went undefeated (Troopers tied them twice) and earned their first world title. They followed that up with yet another world championship in 1974—by leaping from 3rd in prelims to 1st at finals, passing the same Kingsmen who had beaten them in 1972.

After a silver and two bronze medals, SCV came back to win their third world championship in 1978.

In 1981, Vanguard made it four winning titles after rebounding from their lowest finish (7th) in 1980. The 1981 show also marked the first time they had won a championship without using the famed "Bottle Dance" from Fiddler On The Roof.

Then came a drought. From 1982-1988, Vanguard collected five silver medals and two bronze medals but couldn’t quite get back to the top spot. Madison Scouts won 1988, the Blue Devils won two titles (’82 and ’86) and The Cadets (then known as the Garfield Cadets) won four. 

However, in 1989, Santa Clara unveiled one of the most iconic shows in DCI history when they revisited Phantom of the Opera. After making the Phantom mysteriously disappear from a chair during the company front, the entire corps disappeared behind large masks props and left the crowd standing on their feet. 

Vanguard wouldn’t reach the mountaintop again until 10 years later in Madison, Wisconsin. In 1999, SCV would cap off a 4-year climb to the top. After finishing 6th in ’95, 5th in ’96, 3rd in ’97, and 2nd in ’98, they staged their final come back by tying the Blue Devils on finals night.

However, the now 6-time world champion Santa Clara Vanguard would fall on tough times competitively. 

From 2000-2016, the highest the corps would place is 3rd in 2004. SCV didn’t medal again until 2017 when they finished 2nd to Blue Devils.

Then in 2018, Santa Clara unveiled Babylon. 

On June 22, SCV went head to head with the defending world champions Blue Devils with high hopes that Babylon would be the show to take them over the top. However, BD won the night. 

Then, the following night, Vanguard unseated the Blue Devils at the DCI West show in Stanford, California. Like any great champion, the Blue Devils responded in kind by beating their rivals the following night.

It would be the last time the 2018 Santa Clara Vanguard would ever be beaten. From that point on, SCV went 23-0 versus the rest of the best DCI had to offer. 

Then, Vanguard capped off by a magical night in Indianapolis where they not only won their 7th world championship but they also won caption awards for best GE, Visual, Brass, and the coveted Fred Sanford Award for best percussion.

SCV at the 2018 DCI Southwestern Championship

Fred Sanford was the percussion caption head for the Santa Clara Vanguard when they won their first world championship and the first of 5 high percussion awards (1973, 1974, 1975, 1978 and 1979).

So, for the first time since 1999, the Founders Trophy will reside in Santa Clara. And for the first time since 1989, both the founders and the Fred Sanford award will both call Santa Clara home.