The new inductees to the Calcutta Mounted Police await their christening on Thursday. Picture by Pradip Sanyal

Equestrianism was showcased on Thursday, when Calcutta Mounted Police held the induction ceremony of 22 new horses at Alipore Bodyguard Lines. Each horse was given a name and included in the troop of the mounted force.

?From today, the new horses will be considered members of the city police force. They will undergo rigorous training before they start policing,? said police chief Prasun Mukherjee at the ceremony.

The horses, in full panoply, paraded and showed off their skills in various jumping and running events. Then they were lined up and were named by the commissioner, one by one. Standing erect, Rana Pratap, Charulata, Pritilata and other horses accepted carrots from the commissioner, former footballer Chuni Goswami and former cricketer Arun Lal.

The 22 horses are either Kathiawaris or thoroughbreds gifted by the Royal Calcutta Turf Club. The first are used exclusively by the police. They have a concave profile, long neck, short legs, squared quarters and large eyes. Being alert and tough, they are best suited for mounted police work.

The average height of the thoroughbreds ranges between 16 and 16.2 hands. The breed is strong and muscular. Its long hind legs give it maximum thrust while galloping.

Calcutta Mounted Police is one of the oldest equestrian police forces in the world. It was set up in 1840, with only two sowars under a dafader (head officer). They would carry messages and alert the Harbour Master whenever a ship was sighted.

Patrolling of the Maidan was started in 1842. In 1948, a sizeable number of the Lt. Governor?s Mounted Guard was merged with the Calcutta Mounted Police. Over the years, the strength of the unit has increased considerably.

Now, an inspector of police is in charge of the Calcutta Mounted Police. Assisting him are a sergeant major, 12 sergeants, five head sowars, 85 sowars and 98 syces. The deputy commissioner of police (headquarters) supervises the unit.

Ninety-eight horses are sanctioned for the unit. It now has 61 horses, including 22 mares, 38 gelds and a stallion. Of these, 27, including 21 gelds, five mares and a stallion, are race horses. There are 34 Indian horses and two fillies in the unit.

Calcutta Mounted Police has two stables, one at the unit?s headquarters on SN Banerjee Road, and the other at Bodyguard Lines. Till 1965, the unit bought its horses from Australia and the UK. Today, most of its horses are half-breeds bought from the army stud farms at Saharanpur, Pune, Delhi and Haryana.