On Friday, 8 June at Appleby fair in Cumbria a horse drowned after being washed in the river Eden. According to tradition, the animals' heads must be dunked beneath the water before they can be returned to dry land.
The drowned animal is thought to have panicked at the dunking, possibly breaking a leg in the process. Witnesses report that the horse's rider repeatedly dunked the animal's head until it failed to submerge causing the rider to flee the scene. A chain of bystanders formed to rescue the animal but their attempts were not successful.
The RSCPA and the police are currently investigating the incident and The British Horse Society is calling for changes to be introduced at Appleby Horse Fair to prevent further tragedies.