LOCAL

Former partner, other Columbus officers honor fallen police horse with memorial service

Tim Carlin
The Columbus Dispatch
Members of the Columbus Division of Police's mounted unit stand Thursday during a memorial for Liberty, a 16-year-old Belgian horse, at the department's paddocks on Columbus' West Side. Liberty died on May 24th after battling an illness. Liberty was recently retired Sgt. Bob Forsythe's mount since she joined the unit in 2015.

Franklin County Sheriff's office chaplain Leo Connolly said heroes come in many shapes and sizes.  

Connolly described Liberty, a 16-year old Belgian horse with the Columbus Division of Police mounted unit who died last month, as just that – an unconventional hero. 

His remarks came before a crowd of nearly 50 people gathered Thursday for a memorial service for Liberty outside the Columbus Division of Police stables off McKinley Avenue at Fisher Road on the West Side.

Liberty, a Belgian who was diagnosed with right dorsal colitis, an ulcer condition and inflammation of the large colon in horses, died on May 24. 

Law enforcement officers from various agencies across Franklin County were in attendance to pay tribute to Liberty.

Two black poster boards filled with pictures of Liberty on duty flanked the left side of the stable doors. A podium stood in the center, and Liberty's ashes sat in an adorned wooden box on a pedestal to the right.  

Liberty spent her final three weeks living with her former partner, retired Sgt. Bob Forsythe, as he tried to nurse her back to health. 

Forsythe addressed the crowd, at times holding back tears as he spoke about his partner of four years. 

"She was something special to me," Forsythe said. "She took care of me." 

As Forsythe spoke, the humid June air suddenly felt cool. The quiet, friendly chatter among attendees before the memorial service began had been replaced with a somber silence. 

Forsythe described his bond with Liberty, explaining that she was so much more than a police horse. She was his family, Forsythe said.  

At times, Forsythe said, he would spend more time with Liberty than he would his own family. 

A member of the Honor Guard stands behind the remains of Liberty, a 16-year-old horse who was part of the Columbus Division of Police's mounted unit, during a memorial for the horse on Thursday at the department's paddocks on Columbus' West Side.

Liberty was not only a beloved member of the Columbus Division of Police, but she was also known across the country from police outreach efforts, Forsythe said. 

She had traveled to Cincinnati, Alabama, Kentucky, and many more places during her time on the force. 

He commended the city's mounted police unit and detailed how crucial it was during last summer's protests. After the protests, Forsythe said, people would come and ask to pet the horses. 

"You could kind of see the tensions go down a little bit," Forsythe said. 

After addressing the crowd, Forsythe unveiled Liberty's saddle, which sat covered in black cloth next to her ashes as he spoke. 

Silently, Forsythe lifted Liberty's saddle. He walked it over to an empty police transport trailer sitting to the side of the stables and placed the saddle inside. Then, Forsythe locked the trailer door and stepped away from the crowd. 

The horses of the Columbus police mounted unit then proceeded in front of the stables, accompanied by officers from multiple divisions. A sole bagpiper played "Amazing Grace" as he walked away from the crowd, a tradition at many funeral services.  

Connolly led the crowd in a concluding prayer to "remember all the heroes." 

Forsythe told The Dispatch working with the mounted unit – and specifically Liberty – was an honor. 

"It sounds silly, but they can sense you," Forsythe said of the relationship building that went into working with Liberty. "They know when something is wrong, just like we know when something is wrong with them." 

Forsythe said losing Liberty has been "heart wrenching," but he will never forget the bond he shared with his partner. 

"It meant everything to me," Forsythe said. "It was a blessing to have her." 

tcarlin@dispatch.com

@timcarlin_