One of the most popular show breeds is Arabians. They are everything a show horse should be: beautiful, graceful, versatile, and athletic. One of the most popular divisions of the Arabian breed is Country Pleasure Driving. A good Country Pleasure Driving horse has a harmonic motion and a well-elevated frame, and is well-mannered and attentive.
Country Pleasure Driving classes at most horse shows have a substantial turnout of horses that suit the description above. However, as every equestrian knows, things do not always go as planned when horses are involved. What starts off as a friendly Arabian Country Pleasure Driving competition suddenly turns into a nightmare. As part of the Region XI Championship, the event was place at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois.
The mayhem began when one of the horses became frightened and began bucking. The speaker swiftly realized the situation and politely requested that the drivers take a walk and rest. Unfortunately, the gentleman got out of the cart, and his chestnut Arabian horse bolted. Attendants attempted to catch the horse, but it became much more agitated as a result. The horse bolts, and the wagon eventually comes to a halt, forcing the harness to flap around.
As the announcer directs everyone to the center of the ring in an attempt to get control of the situation, more individuals try to capture the horse. Then chaos ensues as one man attempts to stop the horse by grabbing its harness, only for the animal to crash with another horse, resulting in two runaway Arabians. On the other hand, the second runaway horse is readily brought under control.
Another person then makes the blunder of running straight in front of the terrified chestnut in an attempt to halt the horse. This was an extremely risky thing to do because the horse plowed right through him, forcing the man to go to the hospital.
The chestnut horse is eventually arrested, but it collides with another terrified bay horse, who runs. People continue to gasp and yell despite the announcer’s call for stillness, worsening the situation. After several harrowing minutes of pandemonium, the situation has finally been brought under control. Several carts were thrown off the track, and there were numerous collisions throughout the pandemonium. For additional information, watch the video and let us know what you think.