A poorly fastened saddle is believed to have been to blame for the disaster
It all happened during the Soma Nomaoi celebration, an ancient traditional Japanese equestrian festival with more than 1000 years of history.
There, samurai battles are reenacted with riders dressed in armor who compete in races and capture sacred flags launched into the air with fireworks. It is estimated that at the time of the accident there were nearly 40,000 spectators.
It was during the fifth race of the main armored horse event (Katchu Keiba) that a rider fell from his horse. After the mishap, the animal bolted and completely left the track.
In its path, it knocked down part of the event staff and some spectators. Six people were left injured, two of them seriously and rushed away for emergency treatment, although it was reported that none are in life-threatening condition.
The horse in question ran through the parking lots and went down several streets before they were able to catch it and return it to the venue. After some investigation, authorities believe the rider’s fall happened because the saddle had been poorly secured, causing the horse to get scared and triggering the whole incident.
See the images here.