Bristol Bus Boycott: Police horse to be named after one of the pioneers

Police horse Brutus will be renamed after one of the six pioneers of the Bristol Bus Boycott

A competition to rename a police horse in honour of the pioneers of the Bristol Bus Boycott has been launched.

Police horse (PH) Brutus, from Avon and Somerset Constabulary, will be renamed after one of six people involved.

The winning choice will be decided in a public online vote which runs from 11 September.

"We share the city's pride in those people who peacefully challenged and overcame racial inequality," said Ch Insp Vicks Hayward-Melen.

The competition is part of the city's 60th anniversary celebrations.

"It's really important to us for Brutus to be named after one of the pioneers. It really brings that legacy of all that they achieved to life," she added.

Peaceful protests were organised across Bristol during the bus boycott of 1963

Bristol Bus Boycott campaigner Julz Davis said he will be casting his vote in the online poll

The shortlist of names pays tribute to key people involved in the peaceful boycott of 1963, which began in response to the refusal of Bristol Omnibus Company (BOC) to employ Black or Asian bus crews in the city.

It is hoped the poll will encourage people to hear of and be inspired to explore the names and histories of those Bristolians who paved the way for equal rights and justice.

PH Hackett, is one of the names, in recognition of Roy Hackett, who formed an action group in protest against the BOC's refusal to give his wife Ena a job as a conductor despite her being fully qualified for the role.

PH Bailey is another option, in recognition of Guy Bailey, whose job offer was withdrawn by the BOC when they realised he was of West Indian heritage and he joined his fellow campaigners in the boycott.

Owen Henry's role in the campaign to boycott the BOC is being recognised, with another option being for PH Henry.

PH Prince and PH Audley are other options, in recognition of Prince Brown and Audley Evans, who were both pivotal members of the campaign group.

The finalname, PH Singh, is in recognition of Raghbir Singh, who was hired as Bristol's first bus conductor of colour after the company conceded to the boycott and ended the discrimination.

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PH Brutus is a seven-year-old Irish draught horse and is currently in training at Avon & Somerset Constabulary's operations training centre

On 28 August 1963, the day of Martin Luther King's historic "I have a dream" speech, BOC backed down and overturned its discriminative "colour bar" policy.

The success of the boycott is credited with leading to the creation of the Race Relations Act, now at the heart of the Equalities Act 2010, which legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society.

"When you protest peacefully and when you protest with purpose, you know, positive outcomes can happen," said Julz Davis, a Bristol Bus Boycott campaigner.

"What we've got is a fantastic outcome, which has come out of this city and we should be very proud as a city to be the home of the Race Relations Act."

Mr Davis contacted the families of the six pioneers and got permission to include their names in the poll.

"I reached out to them and asked how did they feel about it. I thought maybe not everybody would like the idea, but they all came back with really positive responses," he added.

Cabot Primary School children were invited to meet Brutus at his stable at Avon and Somerset's operational training centre

Trainee PH Brutus was recruited in June 2023. The seven-year-old Irish draught horse, who is described as independent, gentle, friendly, and cheeky, stands at 17" 2 hands high and is currently in training.

Once his training is complete he will carry out varied duties including policing large-scale events such as the Bristol Balloon Festival.

Individuals and schools across the city are being invited to take part in the online vote, which runs until 8 October, when the result will be announced.