HORSE riders in Rugby have been out in force to encourage motorists to give them time and space on the roads.
The town had the biggest turnout out in the country for the national Pass Wide and Slow event.
A total of 30 riders followed a route along Barby Road, Ashlawn Road, The Furlongs and Dunchurch Road, with more supporters – including Mayor Tom Mahoney and MP Mark Pawsey – joining them when they stopped at The Griffin pub.
The Mayor gave rosettes to all children who took part, and commended the riders for getting an important message across.
Mayor Tom Mahoney gave rosettes to all children who took part.
Jainnie Bradley, who took part in the event, said while the majority of drivers pass horse riders correctly and courteously, there is a minority who think they shouldn’t be on the road and become impatient when trying to pass.
She said: “They will go too fast, drive up close to the horse, some even sound their horn. Horses are naturally a flight animal and by doing this they could cause an accident.
“We know everybody leads busy lives. All we are asking for is a bit of consideration.
“We don’t like having to use the roads, but with more building developments going up, losing a byway to a cycle network means we have no choice but to use the roads to get to bridlepaths.
“What we would like is for people to think ‘it could be my child, sister, partner or parent on that horse’ and take the time to pass considerately.”
The British Horse Society recorded 3,737 incidents between November 2010 to March 2019, in which 315 horses died and 43 humans were killed.
