Meet William, Toronto police’s newest Mounted Unit recruit
Posted March 24, 2017 5:56 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Toronto Police Mounted Unit’s newest recruit now has a name.
William, a five-year-old Clydesdale, is named after retired superintendent William Wardle who spent almost 25 years of his career with the unit.
“To be recognized by this unit and have a horse named after me is special,” Wardle said in an article posted on the Toronto police website. Wardle also wrote a book in 2002 about the history of the unit and is now a lecturer in the Police Foundations Program at St. Lawrence College in Kingston.
The Mounted Unit has 24 horses that are used during crowd management, patrols and also act as “ambassadors to the community.”
William, the horse, may have some big shoes to fill but he’s already a lot bigger than William, the human. He stands over 17 hands high (1.72 metres) and weighs 1,600 pounds (725 kilograms).
Police have released a video of William, the horse. Watch it below or click here to view it.
