In-store treat as shopper chooses horse before cart
SHOPPING on the trot took on a whole new meaning in Jeffreys Bay yesterday when two of its residents – a horse and his owner – literally popped into a supermarket to pick up some meat.
Surprised and tickled by the incident, shoppers at Jeffreys Bay’s SUPERSPAR in Da Gama Road could certainly be forgiven for thinking they were in a one-horse town when farrier and horse trainer Rick Erasmus rode his new horse Warrior into the store shortly before 1.30pm and headed straight for the deli section.
The horseback shopping spree, which was photographed and filmed by many of the shoppers there, was, however, shortlived and saw Erasmus leaving the store empty-handed after being gently hoofed out by the supermarket manager.
It turns out, according to Erasmus, who yesterday immediately admitted to horsing around in the store, that the supermarket was their third stop, with the pair having spent some time at a nearby pub and then at a liquor store before “popping in to get some meat”.
“I did it for kicks. People were looking for some sensation, so I gave it to them and warmed them up,” Erasmus said.
He recently made headlines after the SPCA took him to task over the poor state of “rescued” horses at his horse ranch, Featherfoot Farm.
Erasmus, who said he was the victim of a personal vendetta and unjust treatment by the SPCA, said he had taken his new horse “for some beer” and to show him off to friends at the Grand Prix bar, before he decided to go to a liquor store – where he was not that warmly received – before going on into the supermarket.
“I got [saved] him off a lion truck. He would have ended up at McDonald’s. With a name like that [Warrior] and [the fact] that he drinks beer and easily went into the SPAR, what more could you want from a horse,” Erasmus, who has no regrets about the incident, said.
“At least he had manners and he did not mess in the store.”
Surprised shopper Jan Stander said he had been leaving the store when he encountered Erasmus and his horse.
“It was the last thing I expected to see – a horse in a supermarket. But it was quite a fun experience. I reached up and patted the horse on the rump. It was really quite a light-hearted incident,” he said.
Equally surprised, Lisa Sipika was browsing through some books in the store when she “heard the sound of trotting”.
“I thought this does not sound normal. I looked up and there I see a horse riding past me. Everyone was shocked,” she said.
“There were not that many people in the store, but people were taking out their cellphones and taking photos and filming.
“The incident really made my day – in fact, it has already made my year.
“Who would ever have thought they would see a horse in a shop? It was a fun experience.”
She said the incident appeared to have been taken in good spirit by all, including the manager of the store.
“It created a talking point in the store – people were talking to each other in the aisles and at the cashiers about the incident. It was really fun. It blew my mind.
“We live in a really awesome country where things like this happen from time to time,” Sipika enthused.
The store manager, who only identified himself as Andre, did not respond to requests for comment on the incident by late last night.