President and Director of Mounted Police Training Academy Inc.

Sgt. Michelle Pearson retired from The Orlando Police Department after 20 years of service.  She served in multiple areas of the department such as Patrol, Bike Unit, Problem Oriented Policing, Marine Patrol and Mounted Patrol.  She retired as sergeant over the Mounted Patrol Unit.

Michelle graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice, and earned her Masters Degree in Criminal Justice through the University of Central Florida.

During her career with the Orlando Police Department, Michelle held positions of Field Training Officer, Training Sergeant, the Lead Instructor of the Mounted Unit.  Michelle also served as a Regional Mounted Instructor.

Her specialties are Unit Management, Tactical Operations, Community Relations, and Equitation. 

Michelle studied equitation under Jerry Mayo of RCMP and Gaston Ventevogel of the Belgian Gendarmerie.  She also studied Mounted Police techniques by attending the Geiser Equine Mounted Instructors course.  Michelle continued her equine education with instruction by Gibb Stepp.

Col. Gaston Vintevogel,        Retired from the Belgian Gendarmerie (National Police) after supervising the Country's 275 member Calvary Unit, specializing in crowd control and anti-terrorism, for 32 years.  Col. Vintevogel commanded the Royal Mounted Escort, a Ceremonial Mounted Unit of 135 horses. He also served as Secretary General of the Belgian National Equestrian Federation, as well as Chief of the Belgian Equestrian Team for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia.  Gaston has competed Internationally in Stadium Jumping, 3-Day Event and Dressage, as well as instructing the same.  He has been teaching Mounted Police schools and clinics in the United States since 1994.  His specialties for our Mounted Police training is equitation, crowd control and selection of the police horse.

Master Deputy Terry Brewer Currently with the Orange County, Fl. Sheriff's Office (Orlando, Fla.) Terry's experience as a patrol officer and primarily a mounted officer throughout his police career of 27 years enhances these schools.  He was previously a high school teacher and has a unique way of classroom instruction.  He specializes in equitation, obstacles, and instruction for the Mounted Law Enforcement Instructors Course.

Ofc. Mike Kerley Orlando P.D., Ret.

Ofc. Mike Kerley retired from The Orlando Police Department with more than 20 years of service.  He served in multiple areas of the department such as Patrol, Airport Division, Uniformed Drugs, and Special Operations (Motors, Traffic Homicide, Marine Patrol and the Mounted Unit).

During his tenure with the Orlando Police Department, Mike held positions of Field Training Officer, Fire Arms Instructor, Traffic Homicide Investigator, and Senior Mounted Unit Instructor.

Mike studied Mounted Police techniques by attending the Geiser Equine Mounted Instructors course, The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Riding Seminars (in Ottawa, Canada, and in Orlando Florida) and receiving formal instruction under Jerry Mayo, Gaston Vintevogel, and Gibb Stepp.

Mike earned his Instructor Techniques Certification from the state of Florida in 2003.

Some of Mike's more challenging assignments included: serving as part of the mounted security team for the Florida Classic, Super Bowl 39, Central Florida Fair, multiple presidential visits, features in Extreme Horsemen by Tommy Turvey, as well as helping in the recovery efforts from Hurricane Katrina in Pass Christian, Mississippi.

Sgt. Chris Laster Currently with the Sarasota, Fl. Sheriff's Office Mounted Unit and Patrol division.  Chris serves as the Mounted Unit Supervisor and Trainer of mounted  operations.  His specialties are  equitation, obstacles and Mounted Defensive Tactics.  He is also an Emergency Medical Technician and serves as our medical officer.  He has been teaching Mounted Police schools Nationwide since 1995

Keith Meriweather, owner of "Horse-n-Around" horse training has been working professionally with horses since 1983.  Keith spent four months in Spain training as a knight under one of the foremost medieval swordsmen in the world, Celestino Brauna.  After Spain, he put what he learned to use at "Medieval Times".  Keith worked there as stunt coordinator and trainer from 1983 to 1990.  Keith has also studied under other notable trainers such as Gibb Stepp.  Under Gibb, Keith received formal training developed by the late horse training legend Glenn Randall (the trainer of Roy Rogers horse "Trigger", the "Ben Hur" horses).  He has trained in various disciplines such as English, Western, extreme cowboy races, obstacle challenges, and specialty (trick) work. Keith is also a member of the screen actors guild and works as a stunt man specializing in horses.

As Gibb’s apprentice for well over 20 years, Keith  has been exposed to a wide array of training styles including that of law enforcement horses.  Keith is a trainer for the Orlando Police Department and Osceola County Sheriff’s Office mounted units.

Sgt. Austin Provost 

currently with the City of Lafayette Police Department in Lafayette, Louisiana.  An 18 year veteran of the department, Sgt. Provost is the Mounted Unit Supervisor and trainer.  He was involved in the development and creation of the departments mounted unit in 2005 and has since had the privilege of having his unit be the model for other units in the state of Louisiana. 

Sgt. Provost has served as a patrol officer, was a member of the "ACTION" Unit, (a specialized unit focusing on controlling drugs and prostitution in the high risk areas of Lafayette)and was a member of the SWAT team for 14 years.  Sgt Provost retired from the SWAT team in 2007 but he continues his involvement with the team in an instructional capacity as Firearms Instructor, Sniper Instructor and Rappel Master.  

On a personal note, Sgt. Provost has personally owned, raised and trained horses for 20 years.  In that time, he has spent many hours learning all he can about horses.  His specialty is equine phsycology.  He also provides riding lessons and horse training to individuals in the private sector, specializing in horses with bad habits, or who are suffering from fears due to previous bad experiences.  

Sgt. Provost studied equine policing techniques by attending the Geiser Equine Training in January, 2007.  Since that time, he has instructed throughout Louisiana and Texas.