Officers represent South Yorkshire Police at Quatar horse-riding event

Five officers have represented South Yorkshire Police in a prestigious horse-riding event in Quatar.
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Mounted officers PC Julie Bradshaw and Tracey Brown, dog handler PC Faye North, PCSO Emma-Jo Thorpe and special constable Paul Brown previously represented the force at the Royal Tournament in 2019, a show jumping and cross-country competition that sees riders go head to head from the emergency services and military.

The Qatar Equine Federation (QEF) invited the officers to take part in the two-day showjumping competition.

Officers on the two-day tripOfficers on the two-day trip
Officers on the two-day trip
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However, the competition was cancelled when officers arrived, but they still had the opportunity to ride the horses they were going to compete on, including those belonging to Sheikh Faisal, and even had the chance to ride a camel.

Officers also visited the Royal Palace of Sheikh Bin Qassium and met senior staff from Doha’s Mounted Unit, Secretary of Sports and Security and the Director of QER.

PC Julie Bradshaw said: “Many professional riders take part in the Qatar competition and it was an honour to receive the invite.

The officers took annual leave for the trip, and paid for the flightsThe officers took annual leave for the trip, and paid for the flights
The officers took annual leave for the trip, and paid for the flights

“The competition was held over two-days but as we were not competing on our own horses, we had two days prior to the competition to familiarise ourselves with our four-legged partners.

“We were all honoured to represent SYP at this event.”

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Special constable Paul Brown added: “We network with mounted officers from across the world, sharing the same passion for horses and riding. We meet at events and it is a great way to showcase the work of each other’s force and learn the differences between every culture and country.“We had an amazing time in Qatar and I would like to say thank you to Ahmed Bedoui, Technical Director of QEF for hosting and accommodating us and Technical Advisor Abid Salim Khan Tarin, for planning and accompanying us every day.”

SYP stressed that all accommodation and horses were provided by the QER, and officers took annual leave for the trip. The added that officers paid for the flights with their own money.

A spokesperson added: “This had no impact on investigating crime or demand on our services.”