We’ve all heard about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or Canadian Mounties, but some may not know there’s a mounted posse right here in town.
Established in 1946, the Pima County Sheriff’s Posse has long been saving lives, patrolling county parks and representing the department – all on horseback, of course.
This group of dedicated and highly skilled volunteers is on call 24/7 in case anyone happens to get lost amid the cactus or fall into a canyon crevice.
The horses go where big clunky vehicles can’t.
The Posse is regularly on parade and frequently holds fundraisers for charities, including our local Search and Rescue Council, Inc. (SARCI), which it also assists.
Posse folks also give talks at local schools on trail safety, advising kids on how not to get lost amid those cactus or fall into that canyon crevice.
But enough talk about the Posse – let’s go for a ride.
I’ll be riding along with some members of this impressive unit Sunday on a horse named Chapo.
“He is 9 years old, a Tennessee Walker who I use for search and rescue,” said Colleen Leon, Posse second lieutenant and public relations officer. “He is very calm and very well behaved and has hauled out many injured people. I think he will do very well for you.”
Calm, well-behaved and a proven rescuer. Sounds good to me.
Stay tuned for the Pima County Sheriff’s mounted posse story package – with video, photos and more info – next week on Rynski’s Blogski.
What do you want to know about the Posse?
Please list any questions below and I’ll bring them along for the ride.
