It’s a ‘Puyallup thing.’ Horses stroll through town after equestrian adventure goes awry
It was shaping up to be a standard Saturday for a family of equestrians from Monroe, Washington, but a routine voyage to the farm sent them instead to the fair with the help of the police.
The family was driving from their home in Snohomish County, about 30 miles northeast of Seattle, to Yelm, a rural town not far from the state capital. In tow was a white and gray animal trailer with three horses: Boris, Kenney and Atlas.
After merging onto Route 512 near Puyallup, Atlas “suffered a serious accident,” according to social media posts from the Puyallup Police Department. The horse somehow got a hoof and leg stuck and fell, Captain Jason Visnaw explained Saturday afternoon.
The family exited the busy highway at the next chance, which took them to the parking lot of New Hope Resource Center off Pioneer Way and 5th Street Southeast in the heart of the city, which is also home to the Washington State Fair. They “flagged down” a police car that happened to be driving by. They called 911.
Atlas was “in serious distress in the trailer,” police said. He couldn’t move.
Officers and firefighters from Central Pierce Fire and Rescue arrived at the scene. They managed to pry apart the metal around Atlas’s leg, but he needed immediate medical assistance. His fellow horsies couldn’t tag along, but what to do with two such beauts in the middle of downtown Puyallup?
The police had the quick thought to call the Washington State Fair, whose employees “jumped into action and got a stable ready to receive Boris and Kenney,” according to the Facebook and X posts.
With traffic guidance from officers and firefighters, one of the family members did as horse owners do: walked the horses through town and to the fairgrounds under a mile south.
“It was quite the sight to see and there were lots of smiles along the way,” police wrote about the surprise rodeo parade.
Boris and Kenney nibbled on some lunch, compliments of the Fair. Atlas is being treated at a large-animal hospital in the area.
Meanwhile, one of the responding officers, who is new to this force, expressed awe and perhaps some confusion at the whole affair.
“We told him it was a ‘Puyallup thing,’” police wrote.