techron, the police horse, retires to a life on the farm

After more than a decade of service, Techron, a member of the Houston Police Department’s (HPD) Mounted Patrol Division, has traded in crowd control for pasture grazing.

Techron earned her name as part of Chevron’s sponsorship of HPD’s Mounted Patrol Division. The gray Dutch Warmblood is now enjoying her golden years on Sgt. Rebecca Dallas’ farm in Cleveland, Texas.

Dallas rode and cared for Techron for the horse’s entire 13-year career at HPD. But it took time for the two to bond.

“Our relationship didn’t start off as a perfect pair like some horse and human partnerships,” Dallas recalled. “We spent hours working together, trying to figure things out to have a better understanding of each other. And, in the long run, it paid off. We became inseparable.”

Techron’s duties included traditional police activities like crowd control patrol, and community outreach efforts. One of her career milestones was patrolling the Houston Astros 2022 World Series parade, where more than 2 million people were estimated to have crowded the city’s downtown streets.

Techron also served as a key bridge between the HPD and the Houston community, reflecting Chevron’s own missions for community outreach.

“Because community engagement is so important to Chevron, supporting Mounted Patrol really is a natural fit for us,” said Priscilla Brostrom, Chevron corporate affairs. “It brings our community together. And who doesn’t love seeing a beautiful horse walk by when they’re out in the community?”

One of Techron’s final duties as a member of the mounted patrol was at this year’s Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, a three-week event that drew more than 2.4 million people to NRG Park. There, Dallas and Techron were in full police uniform, offering photo opportunities for rodeogoers.

“The line was around the corner to get a picture of Techron,” Brostrom said. “It was unique because while you’d think there are a lot of opportunities at the rodeo to take pictures of horses, there really wasn’t an opportunity like this.”

Following Techron’s retirement, the HPD gifted her to Dallas. Now, Techron will spend her days lazily wandering the 68-acre farm, munching on hay and drinking from a spring-fed pond.

The quiet solitude of her new home is a far cry from the busy streets of the city. It’s a break that Dallas says Techron has certainly earned.

“I was able to ride Techron the entire time I was on Mounted Patrol,” Dallas said. “So, when it came time for her to retire, I was like, ‘Please, let me take her. She has some special needs, and I can put her to pasture where it can help her.’ So, she got to retire here, and that’s where we are today.”