Every Coral Gables Police Officer deserves rest and relaxation in their retirement. That includes the department’s four-legged officers. And not only the K-9 units! Specifically, we’re talking about Rockaway, the only horse that has served in the Gables’ mounted patrol unit since it was reinstituted almost seven years ago after four decades of the city not having such a unit.

The former thoroughbred who once raced at Calder and Gulfstream Park has had a long and varied career—from the track to the streets of Coral Gables. Since joining the department’s mounted unit in 2019, Rockaway’s main role has been community engagement. Residents and visitors may have seen him throughout downtown or in residential areas, where he was a calming presence, a photo opportunity, and an ambassador for the department.

Though his demeanor was gentle, Rockaway was also trained to assist in law enforcement duties, prepared to respond to more serious situations when needed. But now, after years of loyal service—and a recent spinal surgery—it’s time for Rockaway to hang up his saddle for good.

Coral Gables Police Officer Ashley Sheran adopted Rockaway in 2015 and soon after approached Police Chief Ed Hudak about reinstituting a mounted patrol unit. The chief agreed, and Rockaway has been patrolling the city ever since. But after many years of horse racing and then pounding the pavement in the city, always with a rider on his back, Rockaway began to wear down.

“Police horses get a lot of wear and tear on their bodies, and Rockaway came off the track where he was probably worked significantly prior to joining the department,” said Jennifer Arcuri, president of 10-42 Police Horse Retirement Home in Trenton, Fla., where Rockaway will be living out the rest of his days.

Arcuri, a former sergeant in the Pembroke Pines Department, recently opened her ranch precisely to care for retiring police and military horses. Rockaway will be among the first two equine residents at the facility, alongside a fellow retiree from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department.

“They are going to be living their best retired life, including a lot of doing what horses are programmed to do, pasture and graze in the sun, mosey around property,” Arcuri said.

As for the Gables mounted patrol unit, two horses are currently on a trial period. “It does take a specific personality in horse and additional training, to condition them to being around children, navigating some of the terrain, and going on police calls,” she said

As Rockaway heads off to greener pastures -literally -he leaves behind hoofprints on the streets of Coral Gables and in the hearts of the many people who met him. His new life will be filled with sunshine, open fields, gentle care, and the freedom to roam.

Rockaway and Officer Sheran at their last official event, a police memorial service earlier this month. 

After years of service, Rockaway has earned the right to be, as the police code says: 10-42—Out of service, at home.

For more information on the 10-42 Police Horse Retirement Home, including to donate to the ranch and Rockaway’s future, click here.