Horses at The Great Geauga County Fair are pretty common.
Horses at The Great Geauga County Fair are pretty common.
But when people see them in the far reaches of the parking areas patrolling with uniformed officers on their backs, it is a very different view of horses being useful, not just recreational.
The Geauga County Sheriff’s Mounted Unit patrols the grounds every year, with officers able to see over the tops of cars and perform all the duties of a deputy.
Mostly, they are there to help kids who are lost or seniors who don’t feel well, said Geauga County Sheriff Lt. John Hiscox.
But they also discourage mischief and petty theft while on their rounds.
“The mounted unit is our extra eyes and ears in the parking lots,” he said, adding they are also great for good public relations. “Everybody loves a horse.”
Currently the GCSO Auxiliary Unit has five officers in the mounted patrol, partly because participation requires someone with the time and resources to outfit his or her own mount and get it certified.
Hiscox noted the GCSO doesn’t pay for the team.
Mounted unit participants train a lot to become certified and make sure their horses are in the right frame of mind to be obedient in the face of all kinds of obstacles such as crowds, inflatables and water.
Then there are the devotees who want to excel with their mounts, even if they are only called on to patrol parking lots and help out with search and rescue at area parks.
They like to take their horses to shows where they compete at various levels for ribbons and trophies.
Hiscox commended mounted unit member Danielle Sprow for winning classes at the North American Police Equestrian Championships in September.
“That’s a big deal, very impressive that she came away with ribbons her first time,” he said.
Sprow’s experiences with horses span 40 yeas and led her from her back yard in Orange Village to Twin Pines Farm in Newbury Township, then to Lake Erie College and back to Geauga County — where she rides in the sheriff’s mounted patrol.
“I had my first lesson when I was 10, got my first horse when I was 13,” she said.
While at Twin Pines, she was involved in 4-H and is now happy to help out at the fair.
“I grew up at the Geauga County fair. I have a lot of great memories there,” she said.
After graduating from high school, Sprow took her chestnut half-Arab with her to the Lake Erie College equine program in Painesville, where the staff determined he was too crazy over jumps for the program.
So Sprow shifted gears to dressage and her training in that discipline resulted in her trip to the 2017 NAPEC show held at the Devon Showgrounds in Philadelphia.
She rode her companion, Seamus, a 10-year-old Friesian/Clydesdale cross, and they took the blue ribbon in auxiliary equitation, third place in auxiliary obstacles and first in the auxiliary overall combined competition.
Although she has shown in previous events, two of the ribbons were particularly nice to receive.
“I’ve never had a horse that did very well in obstacles (classes),” she said. “This was kind of a special event for me. Since we have to pay for everything ourselves, it’s taken me a while to get the opportunity to attend one.”
Individuals come from far and wide, adding the chance for riders and their horses to impress more than the judges.
“(It) allowed me a great opportunity to represent the department at a national competition amongst other units from both the USA and Canada,” she said.
The Geauga sheriff’s auxiliary commander, Travis Farko, said Sprow has been with the mounted unit since 2001.
Farko is also a volunteer deputy and has a regular job as a network administrator in Aurora. As a result, he can’t be present for all events or calls, so the chain of command is somewhat informal.
“The most senior person (present) is in charge,” he said
Besides six volunteer deputies who ride, there are six in foot patrol, he said.
In addition to Sprow, mounted members include Kelly Varner, Angela Paszt, Beth Halasz, Jeffery Kasper and Dan Fant. Foot patrol members are Candy Whaley, Ryan Kron, Dale Kantz, Nolan Scott, Jon Thompson and Farko.
