Merced, CA (December 12, 2025) — A volunteer rider with the Merced County Sheriff’s Posse was injured after falling from his horse during the annual Christmas Parade in downtown Merced on December 6th.
Witnesses said the horse bucked, throwing the rider from the saddle onto the asphalt. Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke said the rider suffered a “significant injury,” We reached out to the Merced County Sheriff’s office for an update, and were told by dispatch that the rider is ok.
The Merced County Sheriff’s Posse is a volunteer mounted group that represents the Sheriff’s Office at events and parades. On the county’s official Sheriff’s Posse page, the group is described as ambassadors for the Sheriff’s Office, Merced County, and the State of California, traveling more than 3,000 miles each year. The county page also states the posse was established in 1948, that members own and care for their horses, and that no government funds are used to fund the group.
