The race to name a police horse has been won.
And Stanley is the new moniker for West Yorkshire Police’s newest four-legged recruit, following a public competition.
Around 1,100 people who took part in a poll voted “Neigh” to the other four potential names for the four-year-old shire-cross gelding, which all had to be based on a West Yorkshire theme.
Stanley was the most popular suggestion by 200 votes, it beat suggestions of Batley, Denby, Lotherton and Digley.
The name was put forward by a number of people, including Rebecca Milton, from Lepton, who was selected to meet the new recruit.
She chose it due to being a “proper” Yorkshire name, but coincidentally it also refers to a village in Wakefield.
She said: “I discovered the competition through following West Yorkshire Police - Kirklees Rural on Facebook.
“We were all sat having tea and I was asking the kids what names they could think of.
“Given the recent Boaty McBoatface saga there were suggestions of HorseyMcHorseFace.
“I remembered the books about a boy called Stanley Bagshaw and we decided that Stanley was a good Yorkshire name and a strong name for a working police horse.
“After suggesting it, I didn’t give it another thought until I saw they had shortlisted the best names.
“The phone call from the Chief Inspector was a wonderful surprise, although I had a slight panic as he said he was calling from the West Yorkshire Police.
“The good news made my day!”
As part of winning the competition, Rebecca and her family were invited to West Yorkshire Police’s Carr Gate complex near Wakefield to meet Stanley and the Mounted Section team.
Sgt Jayne West, who manages the Mounted Section, said: “We all love the name Stanley and think it really suits him.
“He’s really settled in well since arriving at Carr Gate, and we’re looking forward to him patrolling his namesake place as well as the rest of the county with our other horses.
“Stanley has such a fantastic personality, and is really coming along well with his training, he is undoubtedly going to be an excellent police horse and a valued member of our team.”
Chief Inspector Chris Bowen added: “There were some fantastic suggestions and I know it was hard to whittle it down to five from all those submitted. Any of the five West Yorkshire themed names would have been suitable for him.
“It really highlights how much people value the mounted section and are interested and supportive of the work they do across our communities in keeping West Yorkshire safe.”
You can follow the West Yorkshire Police Mounted Section via Twitter on twitter.com/WYPHorses
