A horse named Sundance drew attention near John F. Kennedy International Airport Sunday night as it ran along the Van Wyck Expressway and surrounding roads. Footage of the incident circulated on social media. The horse’s presence on the roads prompted drivers to adjust their traffic to give it space, according to The New York Post.
Videos shared online show Sundance moving along JFK Expressway exit ramps and avoiding nearby facilities. Port Authority officers, responding to a report of a runaway horse on the JFK Expressway around 6:30 p.m., noted that the horse had traveled across the airport before heading south on the expressway, as reported by ABC7NY.
The horse was safely corralled by Port Authority Police near Terminal 1 at JFK Airport, with officers navigating highways not typically used for animals. The Port Authority confirmed that Sundance was unharmed throughout the incident.
The horse was eventually returned to its home at Curly’s Cowboy Center in Southeast Queens, less than a mile from where the incident occurred. R.W. “Curly” Hall, founder of the center, stated that Sundance left through a gate that had been left open while staff were cleaning stalls and feeding the horses after a holiday event, as noted by The New York Post.
This is the second recent incident involving a runaway horse in New York City. In September, a carriage horse in Central Park led authorities on a chase before colliding with a parked carriage. The Port Authority Police Lieutenants Benevolent Association recognized Lieutenant Calderon for his role in safely capturing Sundance. The Port Authority and Lieutenant Calderon did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.
