The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office recently hosted a Regional Mounted Unit Academy at the Norris Penrose Event Center in El Paso County, Colorado. During the weeklong training program, students worked to improve their horsemanship skills, learn new techniques, share best practices, and develop strategic plans for emergencies.
Participants trained on several topics: emergency dismounting, administrative formations, search and rescue, evidence and fugitive searches, Honor Guard presentations, patrol, arrest, pursuits, traffic stops, vehicle escorts, horse relaxation theory, and groundwork.
“I am incredibly proud of our Mounted Unit's strides,” said El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal. “Since I took Office in January of 2023, I have worked to double the size of our unit and hosted several regional training courses. In May 2024, our deputies trained with the North American Police Equestrian Council in Washington, D.C., during National Police Week.
“As the only Mounted Unit in the Pikes Peak region, we continuously look for ways to embrace our Western heritage while serving citizens in the Pikes Peak region. The Mounted Unit is a large part of this effort, and we are grateful to have it as a part of our agency. Special thanks to those who participated in our training and the Norris Penrose Event Center for their strong partnership.”
Law Enforcement partners from the Montrose Police Department (Colorado), Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (Colorado), Norman Police Department (Oklahoma), Ventura County Sheriff’s Office (California) and the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office (North Dakota), participated in the Academy, led by El Paso County Deputies Christoper Herman, Lawrence Murphy (retired), and Sergeant Jeremy Juhl.
Although El Paso County Sheriff’s Office deputies have utilized equine partners in our operations since our inception in 1861, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Unit was formally designated in 1996. It was designed to support any component of the Sheriff’s Office, primarily in rural areas where normal patrol techniques are combined with the abilities and advantages of an equine partner.
Routinely patrolling unincorporated El Paso County, an equine handler can see better from atop a horse and cover terrain where a patrol car cannot go. This unique advantage of trained, desensitized horses makes them a tremendous law enforcement tool in many settings, such as homeless outreach, fugitive and evidence searches, crowd control, traffic enforcement, and search and rescue operations, significantly enhancing our operational capabilities.
The citizens of the Pikes Peak region appreciate and often applaud the presence of deputies with their equine partners. They frequently participate in and provide security and assistance during various community events, such as the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, the El Paso County Fair, the Air Force Academy Graduation, the Western Street Breakfast, and more. Additionally, the presence of the Mounted Unit brings a special level of decorum to special events such as the annual Pikes Peak Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office will host an Advanced Horsemanship for Law Enforcement Class in September of 2024; for more information, contact Deputy Christopher Herman at [email protected].
