This blog has covered arrests for driving a car while intoxicated, driving a wheelchair while intoxicated, riding a bicycle while intoxicated and boating while intoxicated, but here’s a new one — riding a horse while intoxicated. According to The Statesman, two men were recently arrested for riding a horse and a mule into downtown Austin, Texas, while under the influence of alcohol.
Cowboys are not exactly a rare sight in Texas and, historically, intoxicated cowboys on horses were probably quite a common sight in those parts. Last Friday, however, spectators surrounded the two men and took pictures.
The men also quickly caught the attention of local law enforcement who decided that a horse and mule fit the legal definition of a vehicle. They said that they smelled alcohol on the breath of the 33-year-old rider of the mule and said he was swaying and stumbling. The details of the drunk driving arrest of the 48-year-old horse rider are not available because charges against him were not filed.
The charges against the 33-year-old were dropped early this week. The judge overseeing the case and prosecutors both felt that it would be difficult to build a case against the two men. They said that they studied similar cases from Pennsylvania and Ohio, but found that the cases often did not hold up in court. Prosecutors are not giving up; they now plan on charging the men with public intoxication, which carries a $500 fine.
Source:
Sixth Street cowboys hoofed it west, but couldn’t escape the posse (The Statesman)