Like a scene out of an old-fashioned Western, a riderless runaway horse galloped along the route of Takoma Park’s annual July 4th parade Thursday morning, scattering marchers and startling bystanders who gazed in disbelief as it flew by.
Its black mane flying, the brown horse, without a bridle or saddle, charged along the middle of Maple Avenue in the reverse direction of the procession minutes after it and its rider had reached the end of the parade route at Ritchie Avenue.
The horse knocked over a woman marching with the advocacy group Silver Spring Progressive Action, who fell and cut her mouth, according to a group member.
One video posted on Facebook showed the horse turning left from Maple Avenue to run along Carroll Avenue in downtown Takoma Park.
According to Takoma Park police, “a horse, part of the parade procession, unexpectedly began running in the opposite direction of the parade route. The situation was promptly managed by their skilled handlers on Elm Avenue,” Police Public Information Manager Catherine Plevy wrote Thursday afternoon in an email to MoCo360.
“During this incident, the horse grazed one person. Fortunately, the individual was not injured and did not seek medical attention,” Plevy said. “Our officers were on the scene and effectively maintained control throughout the event.”
She did not provide information on the owner of the horse or how it escaped. A Takoma Park officer at the scene said he believed the horse escaped while it was being walked into a trailer at the end of the parade route.
The runaway steed added a new element to a parade long known for the quirkiness of some of its participants as well as its usual contingent of politicians, fire trucks, scouting troops and local bands.
In mock protest of Montgomery County’s recent ban on the sale of gas-powered leaf blowers, participants with the satirical website The Takoma Torch rode on a trailer emblazoned with the banner “Federation of Gas-powered Leaf Blower Unionists” and held signs proclaiming, “My gas leaf blower is on the historic register” and “Make America gas-powered again.”
Also among the procession was a white Ford Bronco with a door sign labeled “Intergalactic Peace and Disco Disclosure!” The vehicle, with an inflatable silver spaceship tethered to its roof, followed two people in inflatable green alien suits.
Numerous local politicians also participated in the parade, including County Executive Marc Elrich, along with some County Council members and members of the county’s General Assembly delegation.
U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Dist. 8) of Takoma Park, who is running for re-election in November, also walked the route, waving to the crowd and stopping to shake hands with bystanders as a large group of young people followed behind, yelling “Democracy now.”
