Shetland pony gatecrashes 10km race, leaves humans for dust

A RUNAWAY shetland pony named Mildred left human competitors eating her dust after escaping her paddock and gatecrashing a 10km road race.

Marathon moment: Mildred the shetland pony closes in on human competitors during the Trafford 10k running race. Picture: Manchester Evening News

LET’S face it, with four legs she had a distinct advantage.

A speedy shetland pony named Mildred showed the field a clean pair of heels after escaping her paddock and joining human participants in a 10km road race.

The wayward Shetland outran human contestants for about two kilometres before being caught by officials near the nine kilometre mark of the Trafford 10km run in South Manchester.

“Being overtaken by it was probably the most surreal thing that’s happened to me during a race,” competitor Aiden Grant posted to the race’s Facebook page, adding later “it left me for dust”.

Justin Clear said Mildred made a superb pacemaker: “I was running alongside the pony for a good while — it was probably the fastest I went all race”.

The 13-year-old, pony, who broke free of her paddock as the two-legged athletes ran by, seemed to happily trot alongside laughing runners until she was apprehended.

Her owner Alison Edwards said the horse has a reputation for keeping people on their toes.

Ms Edwards told Horse and Hound Mildred has a penchant for being where she shouldn’t.

She was alerted to Mildred’s latest escapade via a phone call from a neighbouring farmer.

“I’d hopped in the van to follow but the stewards wouldn’t let me out of the gate — they said they couldn’t stop the race but pointed and told me the pony had gone that way with the runners,” she said.

“She’s never escaped as such before, but she has been known to come on to the yard, eat a few feeds and then put herself back in the field again ... she’s a proper little Shetland terrorist.”

“She’s a Shetland terrorist,” says Mildred’s owner. Picture: Manchester Evening News