Sheriff’s Dept. Wins Horsemanship Event

Members of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department took first place in the California Mounted Officers Associate Trials last week in Dublin, in Northern California.

The annual event tests the skills of mounted officers and their horses through a 10-stage obstacle course.

One stage included a stuffed bear on a set of wheels which officers had to pull toward the horse with a rope, while another used two llamas to test how easily the horse is spooked and the rider’s control of the horse.

Besides defeating 14 other teams, three members of the Ventura County team were ranked in the top seven of the 45 riders participating. Senior Deputy Elmo Sheeran placed seventh, Capt. Jim Barrett fifth and Deputy Steve Nunes third.

One rider on the Ventura County team was volunteer trainer Jan Bryant, mother of Senior Deputy Lisa Whitney, who was killed in a traffic accident in August 1998 when a pickup truck plowed into her unmarked sheriff’s car.

Bryant wore a picture of Whitney on her shirt during the competition and said her daughter was “with her” as she maneuvered through the difficult course.

“It was very moving because she was riding Lisa’s horse,” Barrett said. “And of course she was doing the best for her team and for Lisa, too.”

The trophy was presented to Sheriff Bob Brooks on Wednesday. Brooks will keep the trophy until the next event.