APSO Motors Division placed in two categories this past week in the Gulf Coast Police Motorcycle Skills competition held at Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales.
Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office Motorcycle Division placed fourth place in the overall team category and fifth place in the team slow ride.
The 17th annual Gulf Coast Police Motorcycle Skills competition hosted by ten area agencies welcomed 28 different law enforcement agencies from across the world and 158 riders. Some riders traveled from Canada, Colorado, Virginia, and California to participate.
Two Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officers, Ben Lecuyer and Steph Ouellet, were able to participate this year, using two of the APSO bikes to compete.
This competition started as a charity event held in Galveston, Texas in the mid-1990’s. In 1997 the competition came to Baton Rouge because of Chief Jeff LeDuff asked if Baton Rouge could host the event, and then the competition moved to Ascension Parish.
The competition is not just held for first place bragging rights, but all proceeds from the event are donated to charity. The proceeds support the Dream Day Foundation and St. Jude Hospital. The funds help local cancer patients in their travel expenses and so patients can have the family support that is so desperately needed during such stressful times.
Hosting Agencies for the competition yearly are: Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, Baton Rouge Police Department, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State University Police Department, Louisiana State Police, Gonzales Police Department, Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, Denham Springs Police Department, and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office. The competition is a weeklong event with much practice, events, and networking with other agencies. On Thursday night, the APSO hosted a banquet for riders held at Houmas House Plantation and also hosted riders for the banquet Saturday night that ended the competition.
For more information on the competition please visit http://www.gulfcoastmcrodeo.com.
Picture captions:
3563- Deputy First Class Steven Coriell competing Saturday on one of the courses.
3739- Deputy First Class Harry Griffen completes one of the courses in the Gulf Coast Motorcycle Skills Competition.
3769- SSgt. Jared Mullins on one of the courses this past weekend.
3970- DFC Harry Griffen, Deputy Wesley Beck, SSgt. Jared Mullins, and DFC Steven Coriell with their 5th Place Team Slow Ride plaques.
3501- The APSO Motors Division: Deputy Justin Lanoux, Captain Joey Mayeaux, Lt. Darryl Smith, DFC Kelly Brown, Ssgt. Jared Mullins, DFC Jeremy Watson, Deputy Wesley Beck, DFC Steven Coriell, Major Ward Webb, DFC Harry Griffen, Sgt. Micah Berteau, and Ssgt. Shane Cannon.