Drunk in charge of a horse
21 December 2001
Christmas party ends in chaos after a man is arrested for being drunk in charge of a horse
One of Britain’s oldest laws had to be enforced in Wales when a man was arrested after galloping a horse down the streets of Ton-Pentre in the Rhondda Valley, Wales, while being “over the limit”.
He is reported to have jumped on the horse, which he took from a field and to which he did have access to ride home from a Christmas party.
There were reports of the rider weaving through the trafficand “hanging on for dear life”.
The man was eventually caught and charged for being drunk in charge of a horse as well as beingdrunk and disorderly.
It was the first such case Sergeant Garth Jones from the local police station says he has ever come across.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
“The man was riding bareback with no bridle, just a piece of rope to hang on to,” said Sgt Jones. “The incident happened on a busy street with lots of traffic and it was dark so it was chaos. When approached by police officers, he assaulted them.”
Neither man nor horse were injured in the incident.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
