Famed Horse With LB Mounted Police Dies After Freak Accident

A horse that served with Long Beach Mounted Police and rode in 26 Rose Parades was euthanized Wednesday after good Samaritans valiantly tried for hours to save him following a desert freeway accident.

According to the Riverside County Animal Services agency, the acclaimed horse Bucky's owner was driving a Suburban pulling Bucky in a trailer at about 5:30 a.m. when her car drifted onto a very bumpy portion of freeway shoulder west of Blythe; the bouncing flattened two of the trailer's tires and left Bucky with internal bleeding and suspected brain injuries. 

For four hours, as temperatures climbed to 116 degrees, a dramatic rescue effort was made. The cast included owners Carol and John Tennant, Riverside County Animal Services Lt. Oliver White, Blythe Animal Control Officer John Bush - as well as a veterinarian and good Samaritan passersby. They brought water and generators to cool the horse, but could not save Bucky, said Riverside County Animal Services spokesman John Welsh.

His narrative news release tells the full story and follows:

An acclaimed Palomino named Bucky died Wednesday morning after an accident on Interstate 10 just west of Blythe.

Riverside County Animal Services employees and good Samaritans tried to save the 30-year-old horse for about four hours at the site of the crash. But brain injuries caused Bucky to start thrashing and a veterinary doctor humanely euthanized him.

According to the owner, Carol Tennant, Bucky had been a participant in The Rose Parade 26 times, which she said she believed was a record for equestrian entries. Bucky and Tennant ride with the Long Beach Mounted Police team.
The accident happened at about 5:30 a.m. just west of the Mesa Drive exit on eastbound Interstate 10. Carol and her husband, John, were heading to the 126th Annual Prescott Frontier Days to participant in that event’s parade.
Carol Tennant, who was driving a Suburban that was pulling a horse trailer, drifted into the right shoulder and into the unaltered terrain, causing flats on two tires on the trailer. The erratic movement caused the horse to sustain serious internal injuries.

Ms. Tennant’s vehicle did not overturn, nor did the trailer. The California Highway Patrol was the first responding agency. Riverside County Animal Services Lt. Olive White and Officer Justin Mays responded soon afterward. He and fellow department employees, Good Samaritans, Blythe Animal Control Officer John Bush and veterinarian Steve Montgomery tried to save the horse.

As temperatures reached 116 degrees, they poured water on Bucky and provided him electrolytes intravenously. Good Samaritans brought out fans that were hooked up to generators to help cool the horse.

“It’s Blythe -- everybody helps everyone out here,” said White’s wife, Jeannette White, who works at the county’s animal shelter as an office assistant and animal care technician and also assisted in Bucky’s rescue attempt.

Everyone believed the horse suffered head and brain trauma, said Jeannette White, who, similar to her husband, has been around horses almost all her life. “When he started thrashing really bad, we knew it was too late.”

Dr. Montgomery, a Blythe veterinarian, humanely euthanized Bucky.
“She broke down really bad when the horse was put down,” Jeannette White said. “But she was very appreciative and thankful the for compassion and help we tried to provide. She thanked us profusely. It was a very sad day for all of us.”