Mounted Police Championships Return to Maryland
by Kathy Erisman, with photos by Linda Davis It seemed like just another patrol day on the
DC Mall for a police horse and his human partner: walking by a Metro bus, the Lincoln Memorial, the Refl ecting Pool and the Wash- ington Monument with fl ags billowing in the breeze, continuing on past the White House… and suddenly two armed men in dark glasses leap from the bushes. T e horse springs to the side, quickly turning to face down the threat, in this case, the “Men in Black” agents J and K. Well actually, specially made cardboard cutouts of the famous movie characters played by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. All were part of the Obstacle Course Test at the North Ameri- can Police Equestrian Championships held September 29-30 at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Gaithersburg, MD. Now in its 29th year, the competition was hosted by the Maryland National Capital Park
Police (MNCPP), both Montgomery County and Prince George’s County divisions, and the United States Park Police (USPP). T e North American Championships provide mounted police from all over the U.S. and Canada with the opportunity to showcase their horseman- ship and the relationship they have developed with their equine partners. Over 100 offi cers from almost 25 departments
arrived from as far away as Toronto, Canada and Kalamazoo, Michigan to compete in Equi- tation, Inspection and the much-talked-about Obstacle Course. Offi cial sponsors had booths and information available during both days of the event and kids got to enjoy pony rides and free horseshoes.
Mr. Clean
Saturday started with the “spit and polish” of the Uniform Inspection class, in which com- petitors are judged in “Class A” or dress uniform
The First Championship by Kathy Erisman Before 1982, mounted police competitions had been held for many
years with each participating department fi elding a team of fi ve riders performing synchronized riding, crowd control formations and an indi- vidual hack class. When a young
“rookie” to the USPP questioned what that format had to do with real police work, Ralph Pfi ster decided to try to do something about it. After all, patrol horses do not trot in circles as group. Pfi ster got together with fellow mounted offi cers Mike Wynnyk (MNCPP- PG),
Alex Wynnyk
on their appearance and their mounts’ cleanli- ness. A group who knows a thing or two about buffi ng a horse and a buckle judged the class this year: T e Old Guard (3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment), the oldest active infantry regiment in the U.S. T e regiment was formed in 1794 and is currently our Nation’s premier Memorial and Ceremonial Unit, giving our fallen heroes past and present fi nal honors at Arlington Na- tional Cemetery. After several hours of scrubbing, buffi ng and polishing, “Mr. Clean” Jose Baerga and his big black gelding Tonka of New Castle, Delaware captured the Robert Lewis Parnell Perpet- ual Trophy. Second in the class of 12 went to MNCPP-PG Ofc. Shane Skeet and Zorro.
Equitation Endeavors
Next on Saturday’s schedule were the many Equitation classes, which were divided into Expert and Novice divisions. T e Novice di-
continued... Sixty mounted pairs came to compete from Philadelphia, Wilming-
ton, Baltimore, the United States Park Police and MNCPP (both Prince George’s and Montgomery County divisions). A few Secret Service agents also rode in the competition. Ronald Reagan was President and even had his security detail learn to ride so that his own horse Gimidish, a Hanoverian, could be entered in the Equitation class that year. Overall, it was a success in spite of “little money, extraordinary
Elizabeth Krieder, who went on to become Chief of MNCPP-MC, riding Irish Banker, faces protestors during the fi rst obstacle course.
(USPP) and Steve Johnson (USPP) to develop a diff erent type of com- petition. T eir goal was to highlight the individual horse and rider and to have “a course to demonstrate what we believed the mounted police offi cer was all about: trust between horse and rider.” T ey also did away with team competition, thus allowing departments to send a single horse and rider, which opened the competition up to more entries. “It is the day-to-day contact of horse and rider that builds the trust be-
tween the two and produces the capable partnership,” Pfi ster said. After a great deal of hard work, the fi rst Police Equestrian Competition was held at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro in September of 1983.
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volunteers, one judge for no pay, a keg of beer, and the camara- derie produced between mounted units,” Pfi ster remembered. T e camaraderie and high energy of the volunteers remained the same as the PEC morphed into NAPEC and became incorpo- rated as a 501-(C) or- ganization. T ey have since attracted national corporate sponsors such as Stubben, Nu- tramax Laboratories,
Dehner and Breyer, as well as local sponsors such as T e Equi- ery, Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue and the Maryland Horse Industry Board. T at rookie who instigated
the new format is now retired, and oh so happy that he did not maintain the status quo. So are mounted police offi cers every- where.
Rick Pelilcano, now a Sergeant with the MNCPP-MC and chair of the 2012 NAPEC organzing com- mittee, in the equitation class at the fi rst championships.
NOVEMBER 2012 | THE EQUIERY | 23
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