EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KOAA) — Last week, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office hosted the Level I regional Mounted Unit Academy at the Norris Penrose Event Center.
The weeklong training brings together mounted units from Colorado to do the following:
- strengthen horsemanship
- exchange best practices
- develop critical strategies for emergency responses
This year’s academy welcomed mounted units from the following:
- Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office
- Custer County Sheriff’s Office
- Denver Sheriff’s Department
- Douglas County Sheriff’s Office
- Commerce City Police Department
- Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
- Larimer County Sheriff’s Office
- Parker Police Department
Participants received hands-on training in operational and ceremonial functions, which included the following:
- emergency dismounts
- administrative formations
- search and rescue operations
- evidence and fugitive searches
- Honor Guard presentations
- patrol techniques
- arrest procedures
- pursuits
- traffic stops
- vehicle escorts
- horse relaxation theory
- foundational groundwork
The academy, in collaboration with the Ellicott Fire Department, offered scenario-based training in an effort to prepare riders and their horses for challenges they may face during missions.
During the academy, there was a mounted ride from the event center to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, which is located in Downtown Colorado Springs. The procession included 40 riders and horses.
Several graduates of the National Mounted Unit Instructor School, which was hosted by the sheriff's office earlier this month, assisted and applied their skills during the academy.
El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal released the following statement regarding the academy:
“The partnership with the Norris Penrose Event Center gives us the opportunity to host valuable training events which bring agencies together to share knowledge, sharpen skills, and strengthen our ability to serve the public. What you see today is a powerful reflection of how we honor our Western heritage while embracing the needs of a modern, well-trained law enforcement agency.”
The sheriff's office says they will be hosting an advanced mounted academy this fall.
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