Police Chief Constable names Police Horse Worlebury at official ceremony
An Avon and Somerset Police horse was officially named after the area of Worlebury in North Somerset in a ceremony on Friday (23 April). Chief Constable Andy Marsh renamed the newly qualified member of the mounted section, who was previously known as Larry, at an informal ceremony, which took place in Worlebury Woods today, Friday 23 April.
Police Horse (PH) Worlebury is an eight-year-old Irish sports horse who travelled from Ireland to join the Avon and Somerset Police mounted section in May 2020. While PH Worlebury has the demeanour of a ‘sporty’ horse and a physique built for Eventing, he has shown a very laid back temperament since joining the team – perfect for training to be a police horse.
PC Helen Watkins – a resident of Worlebury and one of our most experienced riders – chose PH Worlebury’s name. PC Watkins qualified as a mounted police officer in 1995 and joined the section full time in 1997. Her dedication and efforts to the force were recognised during the naming ceremony where she received a certificate on behalf of the Chief constable of Gloucestershire, Rod Hansen, who is the national lead on Mounted policing, showing appreciation for her years of service.
Worlebury is a hilly area in North Somerset located between Weston-Super-Mare and Kestoke and bordered to the west by the Bristol Channel. On top of the hill is one of the most notable hillforts in Somerset known as Worlebury Camp and built over 2,000 years ago. The local policing team for Worlebury is Worle and North Weston. For more information about the local policing team see HERE.
PH Worlebury is an affectionate horse who enjoys receiving cuddles from his riders and will be looking forward to the end of COVID-19 restrictions when he will once again enjoy the public giving him a pat and some much-deserved love and attention. He has helped the section patrol all areas of Avon and Somerset, helping to educate and explain COVID restrictions in the parks and on the beaches – areas that are harder to reach by other police units.
We have a tradition of naming our horses after places or people within the force area, as well as having two horses, PH Windsor and PH Jubilee, named by Her Majesty The Queen during previous visits to Somerset.
Mounted Section Sergeant Ed Amor explains: “Renaming Larry PH Worlebury is an ode and tribute to one of our most dedicated, experienced and hard-working team members. Throughout her years of service, PC Watkins has trained a number of police horses to the highest of standards and consequently contributed significantly towards improving police visibility and making our communities a safer place for everyone.”
