Police horses and riders who faced rioters honoured with national award Avon and Somerset Police’s mounted patrol section, who played an instrumental role in policing the protests and the riot which broke out in Bristol city centre earlier this year, have been honoured with the first ever Police Horse and Officer Action of the Year award.
Several of the team worked 17 hour shifts, 12 of which were spent in the saddle. Despite this they tirelessly carried out reassurance patrols for their local communities the following day and remained on duty all week. When a second night of hostility followed a peaceful demonstration on Friday March 26th, the team again rose to the challenge. PS Clarke and PCs Tracey Small, Beth Enright, Tristan Smith, Rowan Webber and Trudi Wilsher were presented with the inaugural award by the Chief Constable of Gloucestershire Constabulary Rod Hansen QPM, the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s lead for aviation, mounted policing and police dogs.
The presentation took place in front of thousands of spectators and competitors from all over the world on the final evening of Also in attendance were PCs Helen the 2021 Horse of the Year Show at BirmingDuHeaume and Amy Huxtable, who had been ham’s NEC. part of the mounted patrol team on March 26, alongside, other mounted officers and grooms On Sunday 21 March what began as a including Stable Manager Jon Green, Kelly peaceful protest against the proposed Police, Wanstall, Natalie Box, Sara Treble and Darryl Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill culminatSnow, whose passionate commitment to ed in a minority of people engaging in a riot maintaining a high standard of care ensured outside of Bristol’s Bridewell Police Station. the horses were ready and fit for duty. The mounted team, alongside their police colleagues, faced a hostile situation in which Chief Superintendent Claire Armes, Head of missiles were thrown at officers, police vans the Operational Support Directorate at Avon attacked, demobilised and set on fire and the and Somerset Police said: “What our officers police station targeted. and horses experienced were levels of violence like nothing they had seen before. The intensive training of police horses The courage and resilience they displayed was Mendip, Somerset, Windsor, Trinity, Blaise a credit to their characters, their training and to and Clevedon enabled them to negotiate the the outstanding bonds of loyalty and trust that escalating situation with confidence and the our officers have built with their horses. mounted team courageously carried out their duties to restore order and protect the public “Seeing our mounted section team recognised and their colleagues. for their professionalism, bravery, dedication and commitment with such a prestigious award After the event, Police Sergeant Hannah makes us immensely proud and we thank Clarke said that it was the highest level of them, and all of their colleagues who aggression she had ever experienced in her experienced the terrible events in March, for career. “You could hear on the radio officers their outstanding work in protecting the public pressing their emergency buttons asking and their colleagues. for more units”. The horses she described as “just amazing”, taking reassurance from “Our police horses have played a major role in each other. Support from members of the every single public order incident in Avon and public that followed in the form of messages, Somerset in the last 30 years, helping us cards and gifts, Hannah added, was greatly contain and manage major incidents, protect appreciated. the public and prevent injuries. They are, beyond doubt, a hugely valuable asset to our service.” 28
