Jake and Jester are 11 and 12 year old Percheron/Thoroughbreds that have been members of the Lexington Mounted Police Force since 2002. By a stroke of luck they were on duty at my local park today and stopped to chat, but sadly due to a technical mishap (groan!) I can’t seem to get the video I took on to Youtube. This just means I will have to do a more thorough interview at a later date – hurray! I remember admiring these two fine fellows at the WEG last year.
Officer Lisa Rakes rides Jake, and Officer Dave Johnson rides Jester, and they are also responsible for all their care. The Lexington Mounted Unit is based downtown on Sixth Street, and like so many others around the country is a victim of the economy, and the officers told me today they are losing four horses next month. As you can see no expense is being spared in the upkeep of Jake and Jester; Officer Dave joked that he thinks the pair of them inhale the grass just by looking at it! They try not to let them eat treats from friendly passers-by, to discourage bad habits, and to keep an eye on those bulging waistlines.
Jake and Jester are the sweetest couple you could hope to bump into, definitely a massive win for public relations, and their assigned officers were extremely gracious with their time, indulging me all sorts of questions, and the aforementioned missing video! Apparently not much fazes Jake or Jester, and if it does, they don’t move very far very fast, which has been the main aim of their training. Officer Dave prefers patrol, he says you never know what’s going to happen, but the horses also go to community events like the one today, they were at all the downtown WEG events, they grace Rolex with their presence, and they even police the mall parking lot during the Christmas shopping period!
As I was about to go, I had a Fran Jurga moment and couldn’t help noticing Jake’s left front hoof. The officers laughed when I asked about it, teasing me that he was married, never left the barn without it, and that was his bling! In reality, he evidently has a big crack and this keeps it together, but more revealing: police officers are charming, engaging, have a sense of humour, love their horses just like we do, and aren’t just here to write speeding tickets. I’m so sorry it took me this long to realise, and thank you to Jake and Jester. I will endeavour to visit the Mounted Unit Stables and do a proper piece soon. Thank you to Officers Dave Johnson and Lisa Rakes, and of course to Jake and Jester; thank you for reading. Slow down, pat a police horse, and Go Eventing!
