mhe Mounted Section

Furnish Escorts and Often “Steal the Show’—Patrol Near-by Sparsely Settled
Districts — Troop Horses Hand-picked at B. C. Ranch — Thoroughly Trained
Against Sudden Noise — Take Part in Gymkhanas and Give Exhibitions of

PROBABLY ONE of the lesser known
branches of the British Columbia Police is
the Mounted section, stationed at the
Oakalla Prison Farm near Vancouver. Here,
under Sergeant E. C. Williamson, is a troop
of experienced horsemen, which furnishes a

Brilliant Horsemanship

patrols for the more sparsely settled districts
adjacent to their training ground in Burn-
aby and on the North Shore of Burrard
Inlet.

The troop was formed in 1931 and Ser-
geant Williamson has been associated with

Morning

training ground in equestrianism and where
many newcomers to the Force spend their
first year or two. The troop furnishes es-
corts for distinguished visitors, and with
their beautifully groomed mounts, spick and
span horsemen all, they usually “steal the
show.” This is, of course, not the sole func-
tion of the mounted men—they supply

Parade.

the unit since that time. Lithe and rangy,
with all the earmarks of the perfect horse-
man, Williamson has been a lifetime lover
of horses and served in that excellent school
for horsemen—the 17th Lancers.

The troop is an excellent training ground
and many a constable now on detachment
remembers the “good old days” when he

Men of the Mounted Section Practising the Human Arch

OCTOBER, 1938

Many times his first
equestrian drill was under the tutelage of
Sergeant Williamson.

was “in the troop.”

The troop horses are carefully picked,
most of them coming from the Guichon
ranch in the Nicola Valley. At Oakalla
they are trained assiduously, and eventually
are fit for any duty. They are taught to
ignore sudden sights and sounds, and will
stand without a quiver while brass bands
blare, saluting cannon boom and flags and
bunting whirl and flap. One of the favorite
animals is “Arrah,” a beautiful gray, part
Percheron. She, on occasion, will lie down
and let the men fire rifles over her body.

Headquarters for the Mounted troop
were formerly in Victoria, where the section
participated in gymkhanas and gave many
exhibitions of horsemanship. They were
moved to Oakalla a few years ago, and here
the men have their sleeping quarters and
mess. Around the stables there is always
activity, horses are being groomed, favorite
mounts led around, and so forth. There are
ten horses at Oakalla and six at Lynn Valley
on the North Shore. That they take a pride
in their unit is self-evident, and when they
eventually go out to detachment or district
duty, they can be relied upon to give a good
account of themselves.

On Patrol

Page Thirty-Nine