KICKING OFF
Travellers race horses through muddy Appleby days after stallion ‘worked to death’ as thousands descend on annual fair
See photos from this year's event below
TRAVELLERS were today spotted racing horses through a muddy Appleby days after a stallion was allegedly worked to death there.
The three-year-old steed was reported to be "covered in sores" when it collapsed at the annual Cumbria event at 3pm on Wednesday.
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Thousands of travellers descended on the market town, with horses pulling bow top carts carrying adults and kids alike.
And their celebrations continued today, as photographs show hundreds of caravans parked up inside nearby campsites.
The annual event sees travellers gather to take part in horse sales and bathe their horses in the River Eden.
They ride mostly along country lanes, with photos also showing crowds holding up traffic on main roads.
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Spectators gathered at various points, including outside the Grapes Inn pub - while scores of caravans were parked inside a field, which got increasingly bogged down with mud.
Part of the fair also sees stalls set up for food and souvenirs, as well as clothing.
Meanwhile, officers from the RSPCA have been checking the River Eden for potentially harmful objects before hundreds of horses are taken for a swim.
The market town has shut down to avoid around 10,000 travellers who flock there to buy and sell steeds.
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More than 1,000 caravans and 3,000 horse-drawn vehicles pulled up to the event, which dates back to the 1770s.
The annual meet-up sees animals that are looking to be traded, tethered to railings outside pubs and shops on the market town's main street.
Travellers arrive for Appleby fair
However a landlord has revealed every pub in the neighbouring town of Kirkby Stephen closed their doors as they are so scared of the bedlam.
"You go through the town and it's like a ghost town as nothing is open," he told .
"The three main pubs are all closed - they shut on Friday and won't be open. Even the cheese and sandwich bar is closed.
"The coffee shops are closed and the only other place that is open is the Costa."
Locals have reported all manner of crimes in the past including urine being squirted into car windows.
Aerial pictures of the area show huge numbers of caravans already parked up in fields either side of the A685.The centuries-old event is considered the biggest in Europe for the travelling community.
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The centuries-old event is considered the biggest in Europe for the travelling community.
This year's fair is running from June 6 until June 12.
Last year's event saw piles of rubbish left strewn across a field, including filthy used mattresses, dozens of plastic crates and empty food containers.
On Wednesday, a horse died after an act of "inexcusable cruelty", according to cops.
Police arrested two people at the Midland Hotel the same day the same day the horse died, on suspicion of public order offences.
Referring to the horse death, a spokesman for Cumbria constabulary told The Sun: "We’d been called to assist the RSPCA who were having difficulty being allowed access to their horses as owners were being obstructive.
"However, both of those arrested have subsequently been released with no further action."
The poor helpless animal was said to have been suffering from an extremely high temperature before it dropped dead around 3pm.
It is not yet clear if the person responsible for the horse's killing was part of the travelling community.
The RSPCA has since released CCTV images of a person they would like to identify.
Chief Inspector Rob Melloy said the skewbald trotter "undoubtedly suffered before he died".
He said: “The horse’s temperature was very high, and he was covered in rubs. He had been worked until he dropped.
“This was an inexcusable act of cruelty. This person has let themselves, their family and of course this poor horse down, who undoubtedly suffered before he died.
“We want to hear from anyone who knows who is responsible and are releasing CCTV images of a man we're keen to identify in connection with the incident, so that we can ensure this doesn’t happen again."
Traveller community leaders Billy Welch and Bill Lloyd have been left "sickened and saddened" by the death.
The two have "condemned it in the strongest possible terms" as they urged anyone with information to come forward for the "future of the fair".
Welch and Lloyd said those in the community are supporting the RSPCA following the tragedy.
They added: "We are fully supportive of the efforts of the RSPCA and their partner charities to improve the standards of horse welfare, and this is a body blow to all our efforts.
"Appleby is one of the greatest celebrations of the horse in Europe and this tragic event is a stain on the fair that will be hard to wash out.
"The standard of horsemanship among Gypsy people is usually high and they are often among the first to report abuse at the fair when they see it.
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"We do not yet know the identity of the person responsible and if it was a Gypsy, we will condemn them even more strongly and loudly, but please do not leap to any conclusions until we know the facts."
Anyone with information on the horse's death can contact the RSPCA on their appeal line 0300 123 8018 or call police on 101.
History of the Appleby Horse Fair
The Appleby Horse Fair is a traveller horse event which has been an annual tradition since 1685.
The fair is a major gathering place for the British traveller community.
Huge crowds come to attend horse sales and bathe their horses in the River Eden.
This year, more than 1,000 caravans and 3,000 horse-drawn vehicles pulled up to the event.
The annual meet-up sees animals that are looking to be traded, tethered to railings outside pubs and shops on the market town's main street.
This year's fair is running from June 6 until June 12.
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