"Terrifying" Near-Miss as Ambulance Strays onto Live Racecourse
A major incident was narrowly avoided at Evangeline Downs in the United States on Saturday night, when jockeys and their horses were forced into a dramatic swerve to avoid a collision with an oncoming ambulance. The event, described by leading pundits as "terrifying," has prompted an immediate official inquiry into how the emergency vehicle came to be on the track during a live race.
Chaos on the First Bend
The extraordinary event unfolded during the eighth race of the evening, scheduled for 8.35pm, at the Louisiana venue located just east of Opelousas. All eight runners in the Quarter Horse race were approaching the first bend when they encountered the ambulance directly in their path. Demonstrating incredible skill and presence of mind, the jockeys guided their mounts to take evasive action, preventing what could have been a catastrophic incident involving serious injury or worse for both horses and riders.
An ambulance typically follows a horse race on the inside of the track, ready to respond to any accidents. For reasons now under investigation, the vehicle was "a little out of position," as understated by the track commentator, and ended up directly in the path of the competing horses.
Global Reaction and Official Probe
The shocking footage quickly circulated online, drawing horrified reactions from the global racing community. Leading pundit Kevin Blake called it "the most terrifying near miss I've ever seen in a horse race," praising the "incredible reactions from the jockeys and horses to avoid absolute carnage."
US racing journalist Ray Paulick echoed this sentiment on X, noting the "incredible reaction by jockeys to avoid going head-first into a vehicle." Another observer, Gabe Prewitt, simply posted, "Holy hell," capturing the shock of many who witnessed the event. The race was ultimately declared a no contest.
In the wake of the incident, track officials have launched a full probe to determine the exact sequence of events that led to the ambulance being on the track. The racing world now awaits their findings, hoping such a dangerous lapse in safety protocols never occurs again.
