Horse Illustrated Magazine

Plenty of horses are scared of bikes. It’s understandable; they’re fast-moving but quiet, unlike anything seen around the farm or in nature. That’s one of the many reasons why this big gray horse crashing a group bike ride is so unexpected.

And we do mean “crashing.” He comes barreling out of the hedges alongside the road as the pack of cyclists is passing through, and then he immediately takes the lead. The cyclists wisely slow down, reducing the risk of a horse-bike encounter that wouldn’t end well for anyone, but that allows the dappled gray to take a confident lead in the race he’s just joined.

The video was shot at the North West Three Day in Derry Cycling Race in Derry, Northern Ireland, by camera operator Jonny Collins of Ulster Image. The video has gained a lot of attention in the international media since he posted a clip of it to Facebook on May 12.

The full video shows the horse, looking a bit lost and confused, being corralled off the road further down the course, away from the cyclists.

Leslie Potter is a writer and photographer based in Lexington, Kentucky. www.lesliepotterphoto.com