Two police horses who have been the “backbone” of a force for a combined 24 years have retired from duty.
On 2 October, South Wales Police held a farewell gathering for 18-year-old Irish draught Rubin and 19-year-old part-bred Clydesdale horse Samson as they “closed the stable door” on their policing careers.
A spokesman for the force told H&H Samson, who has served for 10 years, will retire to the Horse Trust in Buckinghamshire, while Rubin, who has been with the mounted unit for 14 years – and is the longest-serving horse the force has ever had – will retire to the Lluest Horse & Pony Trust in west Wales. The pair will this week make their way to their new homes, which have been selected based on their individual needs.
“They have worked tirelessly to help keep the public safe; from being part of the formal police escort at Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding in Windsor to being personally thanked by Ed Sheeran after policing his concert in Cardiff,” said the spokesman.
PC Rick Lewis said the pair had been the “absolute backbone” of the department.
“In Rubin’s career he’s done absolutely everything; school visits, community engagements, day-to-day patrols, major events – he’s done it all,” he said.
“Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding was a real special moment and typical Rubin thought all the crowds were just there to see him. As much as he can be a bit fussy on the ground, he loves attention and any big event we do he just loves people coming up to say hello.”
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PC Sadie James described Samson as one of the boldest horses the force has had – and one of the quickest trained.
“After he was trained he was allocated to me for a number of years so we had a good bond between the two of us,” she said. “He helped the new horses learn the ropes and he was one of the lead horses we would use in any sort of public disorder situation. I think everybody on the yard is going to miss Samson, me especially.”
PC Lewis said Rubin and Samson are two horses that would “stand out and shine” in any mounted section.
“Boys, your duty is done. Go and be horses,” he said.
The spokesman added everyone at the force wishes the pair “all the best” in their well-earned retirement.
“Thank you for your service Rubin and Samson,” he said.
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
