A mounted section has paid tribute to a police horse who was “perfect in every way”.
South Yorkshire Police announced 15-year-old gelding Hoober was put down on 30 November following emergency surgery at Rainbow Hospital two days prior, after he was found to have a fatty tumour in his small intestine.
A spokesman for the force said Hoober had put in a “stellar decade of service” since joining in 2011 and was happy to be ridden by all officers in the mounted unit.
“He could turn out to every occasion,” said PC Lindsay Crew. “Because of his lovely manners he could be used at the football, protests, ceremonial events and as mutual aid for other forces.
“He was an absolute soldier and did his job perfectly, in fact he was perfect in every way. He wasn’t scared of anything and as well as bringing on other young horses he helped bring on inexperienced officers who joined the unit too.”
Less than a year after joining the force Hoober worked on three legs of the Olympic torch relay and attended the capital for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. He was a veteran of Doncaster St Leger meetings, worked on a number of protests and spent time on mutual aid around Newcastle and Middlesborough.
“He was characterful, cheeky and very good with all the grooms and officers,” said Lindsay, adding it was his cheeky nature that made him one of the more mischievous members of the team at the stables in Ring Farm, Cudworth.
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“He was definitely the escape artist of the stables. He was the Houdini of all horses and he could open any door.”
The spokesman added police horse Hoober will be sadly missed by all the South Yorkshire Police daily.
“We thank him for his long and loyal service,” said the spokesman.
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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.
