Mounted policeman’s leaving present to remember

One of the UK’s most experienced mounted policemen got a leaving present to remember when his colleagues arranged for him to have a lesson with dressage star Kyra Kyrklund last month.

PC Dave Allen said he can retire “a happy man” following his lesson with the six-times Olympian, which included the chance to ride her former top horse, Max.

“Kyra has been such an inspiration to me for so many years,” he said. “I have used her books and videos in training sessions for the mounted section for such a long time.

“To have a one-to-one lesson with Kyra was a genuine privilege and something I will never forget.”

PC Allen joined the mounted section of Nottinghamshire police in 1980. During his career he rode many of the force’s horses and trained at least seven to become fully operational police horses.

This news story was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound (5 May, 2011)

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