Appleby Horse Fair: Horse rescued after being swept away by swollen river
A horse swept away in a swollen river during the 250th anniversary celebrations of Appleby Horse Fair has been rescued.
As the mare was washed downstream in the River Eden, just outside the Yorkshire Dales National Park, onlookers, fearing she may drown, tried to intervene.
Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service's water rescue team, having been alerted by the RSPCA, intercepted the horse at the town's bowling green.
RSPCA Chief Inspector Lyndsey Taylor said it was a busy fair for the charity with the main animal welfare issues being tack and equipment, animals needing veterinary care, injuries and overworking.
She said: “Sadly, we haven’t received any useful information from our appeal after a horse died in suspicious circumstances on Saturday, and what we believe was a trader’s mark was altered, possibly to disguise it.” Anyone who can help with the investigation should call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999 and quote incident number 01822356.
She added: “One of the horses involved in a collision on Friday, causing us to advise people not to tie animals to vehicles, has been signed over to us and is doing well in our care.
"There were some amazing examples of healthy, happy horses and good horsemanship at the fair, but the eight animal welfare charities who work together as part of the Appleby Horse Project are there because we need to be, monitoring, providing veterinary attention and advising on animal care.”
The 2026 figures saw an increase in the number of traditional horse-drawn bowtops with 106 counted against last year’s total of 95.