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12/8/10
Sgt. J. D. Harber of the Metro Nashville Mounted Patrol Honored as 2010 TWHBEA Pleasure Horse Ambassador
At its annual awards banquet, held December 3rd in Lewisburg, Tennessee, the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association (TWHBEA) honored Sgt. J. D. Harber of the Metro Nashville Mounted Patrol with its prestigious Pleasure Horse Ambassador Award. Presented annually, this award recognizes a member of the Tennessee Walking Horse community that has gone above and beyond in their efforts to support and promote the pleasure Tennessee Walking Horse. As part of the award presentation, which as made by TWHBEA
Pleasure Horse Vice President Rick Wies, the biography of Sgt. Harber included below was read.
Nashville Metro Mounted Police officer Sgt. J. D. Harber was literally born in the lap of the Tennessee Walking Horse breed and business. By the time he was 4 years old, his grandfather Clovis Harber was deeply involved in the breed and business and from the beginning it was obvious that David (as he is known to his family) shared his grandfather’s love and commitment to the Tennessee Walking Horse.
As a teenager, he worked at Harber and Cherry Stables in Centerville, TN. where he was born. He broke colts, he worked/trained horses, he showed horses, he groomed horses and he did it all with a passion for the breed coupled with an unsurpassed work ethic.
Serving on the Metro police force for several years in many capacities, from street patrol to undercover drug units, from the outset J. D. had a dream … a dream that would combine the love of his job as a policeman with his continuing love for a horse. He submitted plans, year after year, that for the most part seemingly fell on deaf ears, to develop a mounted police unit for Metro Nashville.
In the early 1990’s that dream became reality. J. D.’s plan always included the Tennessee Walking Horse as the mount of choice. As soon as he knew it was really going to happen, J.D. contacted the TWHBEA and asked for assistance in developing a mounted patrol.
With President Steve Smith’s leadership, the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association Executive Committee agreed to locate and purchase the initial six Tennessee Walking Horses for the unit start-up using budgeted marketing funds.
Almost twenty years later, Sgt. Harber has developed such a credible program for training and using horses for police work, that other mounted police programs from all over the world attend his training seminars each year and many come back year after year to the Ellington Agriculture Center in Nashville where the Metro unit is stabled. As a result, many of the units have converted to using Tennessee Walking Horses rather than other breeds. He has also established programs that allow the Metro unit to attend many events throughout the year as a public relations function. Most importantly, those PR functions include many visits to Metro schools.
Without question, over a period of many years and in many different venues, Sgt. J.D. Harber has time and time again advanced the pleasure aspects of this breed. Sgt. Harber has taken the original investment this association made years ago and through his vision, commitment and hard work has turned that into an invaluable investment for the future of this breed.
It is with great pleasure that we proudly present the Pleasure Horse Ambassador of the Year to Sgt. J. D. Harber.
For further details or information, please contact (931) 359-1574.
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