On the streets of Philadelphia: Crime to blame for runaway horse

🐎 The horse galloped from Strawberry Bank to Route 95 early Tuesday

🐎 It makes its home at the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club

🐎 The club was the inspiration for the Netflix movie "Concrete Cowboy"

PHILADELPHIA — The horse caught on video galloping along Route 95 could get an appropriate name to reflect his adventure.

The Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club located in Philadelphia's Strawberry Mansion in an Instagram post said its newest addition was able to escape because of vandalism.

"While it’s not uncommon for horses to escape (they are far more clever than most people think) we CAN confirm that both the stall and the stable were secure when we closed the night before," the club wrote.

Philadelphia police told CBS Philadelphia they began getting reports of the horse on Kelly Drive around 5 a.m. The horse made its way onto eastbound Route 676 and then north on Route 95 where it was captured in the Port Richmond section.

"We're grateful for the quick response of the state troopers and the outpouring of support from our community, @phillypolice who came to assist. Seeing the community rally around our horse and our organization reminds us why our mission is so important," the club wrote.

Inspiration for a movie

Children of club members would like to name the horse 95 North or Freeway, the club said in the post.

The club dates back to the 1940s when founder Ellis Ferrell began riding the streets of Philadelphia on horseback. He envisioned using equestrian skills to broaden the horizon of urban youth.

In 1980 Ellis opened a stable at 31st and Master Street with five horses and moved to Fletcher Street in 2004. He still runs the stable today.

The stable was the inspiration for the 2020 Netflix movie "Concrete Cowboy" with some members of the Fletcher Street riding communtiy playing supporting characters.

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