Horse bolts for pastures new
Council truck ends mare Lauramia’s afternoon up town
Aracehorse seen bolting down Rotorua’s main street is feeling “happy” and “stress-free” after her chaotic escapade.
Mare Lauramia caused quite a stir on Wednesday afternoon after she escaped before her race at Arawa Racecourse, running about 2km before hitting a council truck.
Established horse trainer Bill Pomare was counting his blessings yesterday that the jet-black and grey beauty had not caused any serious accidents.
He said the two-time winning horse was not short of experience, but just clicked into race mode a little too early.
The jockey had placed herself on the back of Lauramia and the pair were being led through the side gate on their way to the track.
As they made their way through the gate, the person leading the mare got herself jammed between the horse and the railing. To save being crushed, she was forced to let go of the horse.
Feeling the release, Lauramia clicked into racing mode. She began a slow gallop, giving the jockey the fright of her life.
As she picked up speed, the jockey bailed and the horse realised she was in charge.
Before she knew it, she had jumped and smashed through a steel fence and was galloping full-speed down Fenton St.
“We all started running,” Pomare said.
Pomare and his wife began running down the street, followed by a course clerk on the back of a horse and an ambulance.
“It is near impossible to stop a horse galloping at full speed.”
Police and the council also got quickly to work to catch the mare.
After clearing two sets of lights, the horse collided with an Infracore truck at the Arawa and Fenton St roundabout.
Lauramia suffered moderate injuries, including a bad scratch to the nose and some bruising.
The truck, however, received some extensive denting and a smashed windscreen.
The horse ambulance got to the scene in record time to help the horse, before bringing her back to the course to be checked over by vets.
Pomare said the outcome was a “blessing from all angles” as Lauramia was fine and had not caused any accidents where people were injured.
“It could’ve ended very badly.
Ninety per cent of situations like this end up in a fatality for the horse,” he said.
Pomare said such an escape had never happened to him in 28 years of racing, but everyone had done their jobs exceptionally well to ensure the situation was handled quickly and Lauramia was walking around “happy” and “stress-free”.
Lauramia will likely be back racing in the next couple of months but the headstrong horse will “let us know when she’s ready,” Pomare said.