Congrats Buckets! Police horse earns his badge during special ceremony

MADISON, Wis. - The Madison Police Department is proud to celebrate the newest member of the mounted patrol unit.

Buckets was honored during a private badge ceremony earlier this month alongside the students of Blessed Sacrament School.

Buckets first joined the Madison mounted patrol unit in 2024. After two years of service, he is officially done with his probationary period. During his time with MPD, Buckets has been deployed at community programs, on search-and-rescue missions and at large-scale events such as the Mifflin Street Block Party and UW football games.

"Over the past two years, Buckets has shown us he has what it takes! Throughout each of these deployments, he has demonstrated a calm and quiet disposition with a curious mentality - all traits that make up an incredible police horse," said mounted patrol rider Officer Jessie Luedke.

Buckets is a 9-year-old Clydesdale/Thoroughbred cross who stands at 17 hands tall.

He is sponsored by the John and Twila Sheskey Charitable Fund. He is proudly named in honor of retired MPD Detective John Sheskey.

John served in the Navy and spent some time at sea. While deployed, John earned the reputation of getting sea sick, and his crewmates lovingly gave him the nickname of Buckets.

Buckets now carries that name with honor, in memory of John.

"We thought that's such a unique name and it's connected to our dad. So why not name the horse Buckets," John's daughter, Catherine Sheskey, said.

Special thanks to the John and Twila Sheskey Charitable Fund for the continued support over the past few years.

Catherine Sheskey was given the honor to pin Buckets' badge to his breast collar while students and MPD members watched.

Buckets is currently one of several horses on our unit, which is supported by the non-profit Friends of Madison Mounted Horse Patrol. You can learn more about the unit and the benefits of using horses in policing by visiting the non-profit's website.