観客s' horror as horse 溺死するs at popular country fair

For almost 350 years, horses have been ridden into the River Eden to be washed.

But this year, the 年次の ritual at Appleby Horse Fair ended in a sickening spectacle.

Although dozens of horses swam 安全に in the water by the 橋（渡しをする） in the Cumbrian town, one appeared to lose its 地盤 and 溺死するd にもかかわらず frantic 成果／努力s at a 救助（する） by onlookers.

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The fair for horse 貿易（する）ing began at the 場所／位置 in 1685, when James II 認めるd it the 保護 of a 借り切る／憲章. It is …に出席するd by 25,000 訪問者s each year.

At the event, horses are raced in 前線 of 見込みのある 買い手s. And, to 準備する them for the day's 貿易（する）ing, they are washed in the Eden.

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The animals are ridden bareback into the water. When their feet come off the ground, they begin to swim.

Tradition dictates that the horse's 長，率いる should be dunked beneath the surface before it is ridden on to 乾燥した，日照りの land again.

But this 苦しめるd animal is thought to have pulled away from its owner in a panic, lost its 地盤 and かもしれない broken a 脚.

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It sank beneath the water and re-現れるd but its rider continued the ritual, dunking the horse's 長，率いる under the water.

Again, the animal disappeared, but did not surface again.

Worried onlookers began a human chain to pull the horse to shore. But by the time it was brought to the bank, it was dead. The rider fled.

One man, who was 現在の at the horse's 溺死するing, said: "It's a macho thing with the young men.

"They are trying to 証明する how hard they are by riding the horses through the 深い part of the river. That poor horse didn't want to be there. You could see the terror in its 注目する，もくろむs.

"The rider just wasn't 有能な of 扱うing it. An experienced rider wouldn't have got into that 状況／情勢."

But Eden 議員 Ella Langan, who 議長，司会を務めるs a 委員会 in 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 of planning the event, said there were no 計画（する）s to stop the tradition in light of Friday's 事故.

She said: "We're hoping to introduce a ramp for the horses to get into the water for next year, but there's certainly no way the historic ritual will be stopped.

"As I understand it the horse was bought earlier that day by someone who was 特に told not to take the horse into the water as it was not used to it.

"Of course this person 主張するd on taking it in. I'm told that the horse broke its 脚 while in the water before 溺死するing.

"It was later hoisted out of the water but by then it was too late. All we can do is 確実にする that the RSPCA are there and on 手渡す to make sure everything is 安全な.

"People have been trying to stop the tradition for years but it's part of history and is 始める，決める in 石／投石する by way of a 借り切る／憲章."

The horse show, which is held over seven days, is …に出席するd by Romany and travelling communities from across Europe.

Last night, RSPCA 長，指導者 視察官 Brian Jeffries said the organisation had 開始する，打ち上げるd a 共同の 調査 with Cumbria Police.

He said: "We are 極端に d isappointed that it happened.

"Those 責任がある the horse have not yet come 今後, but we are working to 跡をつける them 負かす／撃墜する."