YORK COUNTY, SC / DEVON, PA - On October 12 through 15, 2017 members of the York County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Patrol traveled to Devon, Pennsylvania for Mounted Police Training and to compete in the Mounted Police Equestrian Championships. The 2017 Championships were hosted by the North American Police Equestrian Council and the Philadelphia Police Dept. The events took place at the Devon Horse Show Grounds.
In attendance were 65 total horses to compete with agencies from across the United States and Canada including agencies as far away as Alberta, Canada and also Toronto and Hamilton Ontario, Canada.
Master Deputy Mark McCarter and his horse Cochise placed first in the Western Division and first place overall for combined Equitation and Obstacle. In addition McCarter and Cochise took second place in the Obstacle course and 3rd in the Expert Equitation out of 48 other horses.
McCarter and Cochise also won the Brigadier Memorial Trophy. This award is given in honor of Brigadier, a Toronto Police Horse that was killed in the line of Duty. This coveted award is given to the horse and rider who has the highest combined score in Expert Equitation and Obstacle Course.
Equitation is the art or practice of horse riding or horsemanship. More specifically, equitation may refer to a rider's position while mounted and encompasses a rider's ability to ride correctly and with effective aids. In horse show competition, the rider, rather than the horse is evaluated.
Established in 2010, the York County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Patrol’s mission is to perform search and rescue, crowd control and patrolling parking lots during festivals and other large events. Affectionately nicknamed “The Sheriff’s Posse”, the patrol is made up of four deputies and their personal horses.
To learn more about the North American Police Equestrian Council visit http://napecinc.org.
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