Police horse gallops through Miami — without a rider. It’s caught on video.
Presidente, a striking white police horse, is a familiar figure on Miami’s downtown streets. Usually, he’s got a police officer on his back.
But earlier this week, the big 10-year-old horse was captured on video bolting down Northwest First Street — past lawyers, cops and other visitors to the downtown civil courthouse.
Presidente, a draft horse, got his name from the well-known South Florida supermarket chain. It’s owner donated him to Miami Police Department’s Mounted Patrol Unit and he has reliably made his rounds since then. But on Tuesday, police sources said, the horse slipped a bit on the street, a move that jolted the mounted officer out of his saddle.
Spooked, Presidente then took off — but he knew exactly where he was going. He raced about three blocks back toward his stable at Miami’s Lummus Park on Southwest Third Avenue, behind the police department and just west of Interstate 95. A calm Presidente was then corralled by other officers near the stable.
His run through dowtown was captured on cellphone video and posted on the Instagram site, @OnlyinDade, which specializes in such amusing Miami moments.
His rider suffered a couple of scrapes, according to a source familiar with the incident, but was otherwise okay. The officer’s name was not provided.
This story was originally published July 25, 2019 at 12:12 PM.
