A Policeman’s Lot 20….Never look a gift horse in the hoof.

If there is one area in which the British can be relied upon to excel, it is in the field of pomp and pageantry. In Britain state processions and military displays usually take place during the Summer months and members of the public will often queue for hours for the chance to see Her Majesty the Queen perform one of her state roles on the public stage

A good opportunity to witness such an event is on the occasion of a trip to the UK by a visiting head of state….Such as the state visit by His Majesty King Hassan II of Morocco, on Tuesday 14th July 1987.

State visits such as this are planned in the minutest detail months in advance and they usually run like clockwork. Each visit will begin by the arrival of the head of state in London where they are met and greeted by Her Majesty the Queen….On that particular visit the King arrived by Royal Train at Victoria Station and Queen Elizabeth greeted him as he stepped onto the platform…..The Royal party were then escorted to an open horse drawn carriage in which they would be driven through London’s streets, escorted by the troops and horses of the Household Cavalry for the short journey from Victoria Station to Buckingham Palace.

From a security point of view this part of the visit poses various problems….You have two heads of state being transported through crowded streets in an open carriage….Obviously there are close protection officers watching everything that happens….But it is a time when everybody is on high alert….The route was lined by soldiers who were precisely positioned by their Sergeant Majors…Also along the route were large numbers of ordinary (unarmed) police officers….The military and the police were positioned in front of large metal barriers behind which the public were able to gather to observe the spectacle.

When a royal procession passes, the troops and the police will be facing forward and looking toward the procession…..However, another group of police officers will be positioned one every twenty or thirty yards…. They will have their backs to the procession and will be instructed instead to face the crowds….Just in case any threat should arise from that area….These officers will be armed members of the Diplomatic Protection Group…..And so it was on that warm and sunny Tuesday in mid July, 1987 that I found myself standing in Victoria Street SW1, a couple of hundred yards along from Victoria Station facing a good natured and cheerful crowd consisting mostly of locals and American tourists who were eagerly awaiting a fleeting glimpse of (and perhaps even a royal wave from) the Queen of the United Kingdom and the King of Morocco.

As the procession left the station I was stood perhaps two or three yards away in front of the big metal barriers and I was facing the crowds….I heard the crowds to my right begin to cheer excitedly….I could hear the sound of heavy cavalry horses hooves coming from around the bend in the road and as I heard the jingling of metal harnesses. I sneaked a glance at to my right where I saw the troops and horses of the Household Cavalry come into view….First their were the bright red tunics and gleaming brass helmets and breast plates of the Lifeguards…..Immediately behind them would be the royal carriage carrying the Their Majesties…..As they passed behind me I was concentrating on the crowd in front of me….All was well….And as the royal carriage passed behind me I probably relaxed….Just a little….Behind the open carriage came the second ranks of cavalry, The Blues and Royals….As they passed behind me I could hear that the “Clip-Clop” of hooves was not as regular as the Lifeguards had been….I could hear that one of the horses was out of step with the rest and was definitely ‘Acting Up’…..The next thing I knew I was lying face down in the gutter with my head and shoulders resting on the feet of some American tourists…..While I took stock of my new position and tried to rationalise how It was that I had come to be there, I heard a shrill, female American voice yell out “Oh My God!….I Think He’s Dead!”

At this point I tried to move my head…..Firstly to my left where I could see the royal horses and carriage, now stationary and both the Queen and the Moroccan King stood up and looking back in my direction…..To my right I could hear a calm male voice saying “For Christ sake, don’t try and move, Son!”

I turned my head to the right and the voice became more agitated. “What part of DON’T MOVE! Do you not understand, Son…..Stay still”

By now the sergeant was kneeling at my side….”You’ve been kicked full in the back by one of those bloody horses…..We are going to take this VERY slowly….How are you feeling?”

“I’ve felt better Sarge…..But I think I’m OK.”

“Can you move your fingers and hands?”

I successfully wriggled my fingers and moved my hands “Yes….They are fine.”

“OK, what about your feet?”

I wriggled my toes, moved my feet and finally my legs….”All seems OK Sarge can I try and sit up?”….Over the next few seconds I disentangled myself from the metal barrier….A glance to my left revealed that the Royal party had retaken their seats in the carriage which was being hurriedly led away by Royal Footmen (who would in reality have been close protection police officers).

The sergeant, who was not a DPG officer, helped me to my feet. “I can’t believe that you’re not badly injured, that horse bucked and kicked out backwards with his right hind hoof and caught you square in the back….You have got a huge hoof print right in the middle of your tunic!…..Let’s get you seen to by a medic….You might still need an X-ray”

A paramedic checked me over but pronounced me as “Not requiring hospitalisation.”

The sergeant took me back to where my own group were gathering and explained the situation to my own supervisors….I overheard him say “I can’t believe how lucky he’s been….But the incident needs to be recorded as an ‘injury on duty’ at your HQ and he should be placed sick….If it was me I would have him taken home by car….Just in case he suffers a late reaction.”

Before he disappeared back to his own people I thanked him for his solicitude and he said one more thing to me. “You are REALLY lucky to walk away from this today….If you will take my advice you will go sick for a sensible amount of time and certainly go and see your own GP….You are still a young man but the back and spine is a very complex and delicate part of the anatomy….You may feel OK today but something like being kicked by a horse might come back to haunt you maybe later in life…You take my word for that….And make sure that your supervisors record this as an injury on duty….That is VERY important.

It was several months later when I realised the wisdom of his words when I spoke to another officer who was suffering in agony from a recurring spinal problem that had originated from a seemingly innocuous incident that occurred whilst he was on duty severally years earlier….But because it only appeared to be slight and minor injury at the time it wasn’t recorded as an injury on duty at the time…. As a result, he was now looking at being declared medically unfit for duty and the difference in his final ill health pension was significantly less than if his injury had been recorded as happening whilst ‘On Duty’ at the time of the original incident.

I remained on sick leave for two weeks and my GP was happy to sign me back to work as ‘Fit for duty’….When I resumed to work to work I was reminded of the un-subtle nature of police humour…..I arrived at work….Went to my locker to get changed into my uniform….But as I opened my locker door, I was engulfed in an absolute avalanche of old rusty iron horse shoes that had been acquired from the Household Cavalry HQ in Knightsbridge and piled high in my locker!….When I looked through my correspondence tray I found a letter from the Commanding Officer of the Household Cavalry apologising for the rudeness of one of his horses in “assaulting a police officer in the execution of his duty” and wishing me a speedy recovery…..I thought that was a nice touch.

Fortunately, I did not suffer any significant long term effects from the injury….Although I am still to this day rather wary about going close to the rear end of any horse…..And I am proudly able to maintain that I am possibly the only police officer in the country who has had two reigning monarchs stand up to get a look at me!