Two people injured Horse bolts after St Martin’s parade in Lannesdorf
Lannesdorf · After the St Martin’s parade in Lannesdorf, a horse bolted when it got a fright near the blazing bonfire.
After the St Martin’s parade in Lannesdorf, a horse bolted when it got a fright near the blazing bonfire and ran onto the street. The horse guide and a pedestrian got slightly injured. Eye witnesses described the flames of the bonfire as several meter high. 200 children and their siblings, parents and friends were standing around at a safe distance. The horse was led around the fire ridden by a Saint Martin impersonator. „I had filmed the bonfire to capture the memory of the day“, said Diana Hinnenberg, mother of a six-year-old and a baby. She said she filmed the horse with her mobile phone, zooming in on it.
„When the horse bolted, I thought at first that this was part of the show“, she said. But then she got a shock when she realised what happened. The 23-year-old worried about somebody getting injured. The families around here were also concerned and went home shortly afterwards. A police spokesperson explained that the fire had dropped suddenly just before the incident, which caused some flying sparks. „We have no indication that anybody interfered with the fire.“
As reported, at last year’s Rosenmontag Parade, two carriage horses bolted, injuring two people. Cornelia Büsch-Dutz, the principal of the Lynsberg school, confirmed the incident occurred: St Martin arrived last at the village square. The horse was led through and when it bolted it ran through a small lane towards the street, where it was caught and then walked back. „It was a fright for everyone“, but everything ended well. „We had paramedics at the event anyway“, said Büsch-Dutz.
The principal assumes that the same discussion will now begin as at the carnival parades (see „Horses to stay in the stables during Bonn carnival“). Online it has already been debated - but amongst critical tones people also praise the commitment of the people who volunteer as actors for events like St Martin parades. Riding school boss Dirk Schneider of the Rodderberg Broichhof said that the horse got a fright, the rider fell off but wasn’t injured. „The horse walked and trotted away, there was no panic“, said Schneider whose horses were part of 20 St Martin parades this year.He criticised that often very dry wood palettes are used nowadays for the bonfire, which then burns down with small explosions.
He recommends not to let the horses this close to the fire, and mentioned Bad Godesberg and Pennenfeld as examples for a safer handling of the situation. It would be better to lead the animals past the children first and then light the bonfire afterwards. (Original text: Richard Bongartz Translation: Mareike Graepel)
