Neigh‑ming Rights Earned: Students Name Ottawa’s New Mounted Unit Horses

Two members of the Ottawa Police Mounted Unit have new names thanks to local students at English and French school boards that participated in a special contest!

A number of creative and thoughtful entries were received, making the final decision a difficult one. After careful consideration, two winning names were selected:

Scout, submitted by Grade 5 students from St. Isabel Catholic Elementary School, and Hérico, submitted by Grade 5 students from École élémentaire publique Odyssée.

The name Scout was chosen to reflect qualities such as courage, leadership, loyalty, and service to others. Students explained that these values closely align with the work of both scouts and police horses serving the community.

The name Hérico was created by students as an acronym reflecting Canadian identity, Ottawa landmarks and Francophone culture. Their creative submission highlighted local pride and the French language while creating a memorable name for the horse. Hérico will be known as Héro for short.

Members of the Mounted Unit visited both schools to recognize the winning classes and celebrate their contributions. Students had the opportunity to meet the horses, speak with officers, and learn more about the role of the Mounted Unit in community engagement, public safety, and patrol operations.

The Ottawa Police Service would like to thank all students, educators, and school board partners who participated in this initiative. Their creativity and enthusiasm helped make this a meaningful experience for everyone involved.

 We are proud to officially welcome Scout and Héro to the Mounted Unit!

Learn more about Scout and Héro at ottawapolice.ca/MountedUnit.