Cowboy comes alive at rallies

TEGAL, Central Java: Slawi police chief Lt. Col. Soetamto Oetomo is one officer who is not complaining about campaigning because it lets him pursue his favorite hobby, horse riding.

Soetamto has turned up on horseback at almost every outdoor rally in his jurisdiction.

In full uniform, including a wide-brimmed hat and long boots, he looks like a cowboy as he parades around venues barking orders at unruly crowds.

"I have ridden horses since I was a boy. I will get on my horse and dart around town after stressful work," he said after a Golkar rally last week.

His unannounced visits often surprises police in remote villages. (wah/pan)