2023 m‪arked the hundredth anniversary of the Mounted Section being created in Birmingham. What happened to the police horses? Where did they come from? What did they do? Perhaps more importantly, where have they gone? To find out more, come to this talk and join the ride with Stefan Wild through the brief history of police horses patrolling West Midland streets.

From Victorian ceremonial duties, to shocking scenes of 1980’s football violence, Stef tells the story of how a department evolved from a regimented, military style, male bastion, to a modern-day operational, inclusive unit. Brought to life through pictures, colourful characters, both equine and human, join us for a light hearted talk, using handed down tales, and personal anecdotes.

Stef served with West Midlands Police between 1972 and 2005, working proudly, as a mounted officer from 1979 until 1991. During retirement he has written several short stories for police and historical publications, before publishing ‘Longest Way Up Shortest Way Down’, a five-star rated book about his time with the horses which will be on sale after the talk.

The picture shows the Mounted Section in 1999 just before being disbanded