Pandemonium descended upon Windsor Racecourse during a prestigious evening meeting, as a terrified racehorse threw its jockey and embarked on a heart-stopping, riderless gallop around the track, forcing a complete lockdown of the venue.
The incident occurred just moments before the 6f handicap race was set to begin. The two-year-old colt, subsequently identified as Newmarket-trained Bulls Point, became severely agitated in the starting stalls. In a desperate attempt to calm the animal, handlers applied a blindfold—a standard practice for nervous horses.
The strategy backfired catastrophically. Spooked and disoriented, the horse reared up, unseating jockey Charles Bishop, and then bolted onto the course with the blindfold still secured over its eyes. For several tense minutes, the panicked animal charged at high speed, weaving across the turf as safety teams scrambled to contain the situation.
The dramatic scenes caused an extensive delay, with the scheduled race abandoned for the evening. Organisers were forced to hold all remaining runners in the parade ring while a dedicated team of ground staff and outriders worked to safely corral the loose horse.
Miraculously, neither the horse nor any individuals were seriously injured in the alarming escapade. The equine escape artist was eventually caught and calmed, much to the relief of the horrified spectators. The British Horseracing Authority has confirmed it will be reviewing the circumstances surrounding the bizarre and disruptive event.
