Ponies At 'Full Gallop' Injure 3 At Wisconsin Memorial Day Parade

ELM GROVE, WI — Three people were injured in the time-honored Memorial Day parade ritual in a Milwaukee suburb Monday when two show ponies were spooked and ran into the crowd at what witnesses described as a “full gallop,” according to multiple media reports. Police in Elm Grove said none of the injuries was serious, but two of the injured were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.

The ponies were pulling a wooden carriage, which knocked a 58-year-old Brookfield woman from her chair. She suffered ankle, shoulder and head injuries and was taken by ambulance from the parade. The other person requiring treatment was a 9-year-old from Racine, who also was hit by the carriage and sustained cuts to his ears and complained of stomach pain.

Also injured was a 77-year-old Milwaukee man who was knocked out of his chair and stepped on. His injuries were not serious. (For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Milwaukee Patch, or click here to find your local Wisconsin Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Elm Grove police think the ponies were spooked by fireworks “snaps” — the sound made by fireworks poppers when thrown to the ground — or tennis balls that children may have thrown along the parade route, WISN-TV reported. The handler was unsuccessful at stopping them, and they galloped into the crowd, causing pandemonium among the parade spectators.

“I think everything turned out OK, but it could have been a disaster,” witness Camille Veltri told WISN.

The ponies, who are owned by Erin Meadows Farm LLC, were en route to their trailer when they were startled by parade noises, WITI-TV reported. They’re fine, but their owners took them to a veterinarian to be sure.

Photo by Ken Jones via Flickr Commons