KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — After asking for the public’s input, the newest members of the Knoxville Police Department Mounted Patrol have names.
KPD and Downtown Knoxville Alliance announced the names of three new horses on Sept. 17. Earlier in the month, they began a public naming campaign and received more than 4,500 community submissions.
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A committee of representatives from the Downtown Knoxville Alliance and KPD chose the following names from the submissions:
- Ranger – a black, four-year-old Morgan/Percheron cross.
- KPD said Ranger’s name was chosen because “it felt like the perfect fit.”
- Cormac – a black and white, five-year-old Quarter Horse/Belgian-Percheron cross.
- Cormac was named in honor of Knoxville author Cormac McCarthy. McCarthy moved to Knoxville as a child, attended Knoxville Catholic and the University of Tennessee. He also returned to the city to write some of his first novels.
- Summitt – a black, six-year-old Quarter Horse/Percheron cross.
- Summitt was named for legendary Lady Vols basketball coach Pat Summitt. KPD said it was one of the popular submissions.
The community members who submitted the winning names first will receive a prize pack from Downtown Knoxville Alliance and KPD.
The horses were bought by the Downtown Knoxville Alliance to expand KPD’s Mounted Patrol Unit and enhance visibility in Downtown, Old City, and at special events. They started training in July, and KPD said the horses have already started participating in some Mounted Patrol operations.
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KPD announced plans for a Mounted Patrol Unit in December 2024, with officers conducting their first patrols on Tuesday, April 15, to coincide with the Knoxville Smokies home opener at Covenant Health Park. The department’s first two horses are named Waggoner and Phyl. Waggoner is named after Officer Mike Waggoner, who has been with KPD for over 50 years, mentoring hundreds of officers. Phyl is named after the mother of Captain Ryan Morrow, who led the training for the Mounted Patrol Unit…