Release posted on 05-24-22 at 5:03 p.m.

Hero and Storm made their official debut today, May 24, 2022, at Perkins Elementary School in St. Petersburg.

Perkins Elementary submitted the two winning entries in a naming contest to introduce the two newest members of the St. Petersburg Police Department's Mounted Police Unit to the community.

Six elementary schools in the city took part in the contest and submitted nearly 70 names.

Mrs. Fortenbery's second grade class at Perkins Elementary picked the winning name for the male horse - "Hero", and the fourth graders in Ms. Zeedyk's class named the female horse "Storm".

Hero is an 11-year-old Brabant breed from Tennessee. He weighs more than 1600 lbs. and growing.

Storm is a 7-year-old Belgium Draft Cross breed from Pennsylvania. She weighs 1300 lbs.

Officers Yancey and McWade of our Mounted Police Unit are taking Hero and Storm through intense training to acquaint them to patrol in crowded and noisy conditions and alongside traffic. Hero and Storm are a valuable asset to enhance police patrol in the downtown area, especially on weekends and at special events.

The newbies will replace veteran patrol horses Brooklyn and Jacob, which are set to retire soon to a North Carolina farm.