Something new and exciting has taken place in Douglas County! We riders have been invited to join the Douglas Co. Ground Search & Rescue Team as a charter group of Mounted Search & Rescue volunteers. Peg, Deby, and I attended a 2 day intensive training session up at Cambridge, IL April 2005. It was quite an experience! On Saturday morning we had a lecture; that afternoon the mounted team went into a huge, grassy pasture where we practiced a field search. Our "victims" were decks of cards scattered about...very difficult to find in the tall grass. After supper we had another lecture. Sunday the mounted teams joined the ground teams in a simulated search for 2 "victims". The mounted team we were part of did a "hasty search" procedure on the perimeter, followed by a field search. After about 3 or 4 hours (I lost track of time!), the victims were located. The media was there most of the day to tape us in action for an evening news blip.

     We came away very impressed with the professionalism, comraderie, and dedication of all those involved from instructor (Pat Keene) to the vounteers. We are enthused about being charter members of the Douglas County, IL MSAR unit and hope other riders will volunteer their time to community service. We are proud that our equine partners can be a valuable asset the the GSAR team.

  Pictures and video clip from the training at Henry County: Click here

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     Since 2005, our membership has grown. We've been involved in many searches both as "ground pounders" and on horseback. Click here to see a slideshow of some team activities.

     See below to view some video clips promoting our team and also a clip from an actual search.

Mounted Search and Rescue News clip from WCIA. Click here to see the video (Hit the BACK button to return)

Actual search in McLean Co. featuring many of our team members. Quiz and I were team leaders seen on much of        the footage taken at the search. Click here to view. (Hit the BACK button to return)