Latest news with #IanMcKeever
Sunday World
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Irish carriage driver (57) sobs as he is acquitted of horse's death in New York
'TERRIBLE TIME' | Ian McKeever had pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor char Ian McKeever on CBS News A six-person jury found Ian McKeever (57)not guilty of overworking a horse called Ryder, who collapsed en route back to his stable on an 84-degree Fahrenheit (29-degree Celsius) day in August 2022. The horse lay on an avenue near Times Square for nearly an hour as concerned bystanders gathered around and police cooled him with a hose and ice. The animal ultimately got up, to cheers. Ian McKeever on CBS News News in 90 Seconds - July 22nd McKeever, who was born and raised in Ireland but has lived in New York for decades, had pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge. His attorney, Raymond Loving, said the horse wasn't overtaxed and simply tripped while changing lanes on a Manhattan street. 'The verdict was very gratifying. This has been an ordeal for him,' Loving said by phone, adding that 'the evidence just didn't support the charge.' Speaking after the verdict, Mr McKeever told CBS News the allegations had had a terrible impact on his life. "I'm in this business 40 years, and I've never, ever abused a horse in my life," McKeever said. "This has been a terrible three years for me. Everybody was looking at me like I was an abuser of a horse, and it just killed me." He added: "You know, anytime a horse is on the ground, like, lying down, it looks bad. But if people understand horses, this happens, and our priority is to get the horse up," McKeever said. "I didn't know he had cancer. I didn't know he was sick." Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement that prosecutors presented 'a thorough case based on the facts and evidence.' Featured in countless movies and TV shows, New York's horse carriages are popular with visitors and people celebrating special occasions. But animal rights advocates have long tried to get the coaches banned, and the issue became a prominent, celebrity-studded local political debate for a time about a decade ago. Read more Anti-coach activists question the horses' treatment and contend that Manhattan streets are no place for equines, pointing to some collisions and collapses over the years. Enthusiasts say the carriages are a time-honored tourist draw that employs several hundred drivers and creates a role for surplus farm and race horses that might otherwise be slaughtered. McKeever, an Irish immigrant, has been a carriage driver for decades. His brother owned Ryder. A horse-carriage-industry veterinarian, Dr. Camilo Sierra, told jurors he estimated Ryder's age at 28 to 30, eventually settling on 26 — the maximum age at which carriage-pullers can legally work. Police Sgt. Vincent Fontana testified that McKeever told him the horse was 13. Ryder was outside for over seven hours on Aug. 10, 2022, mostly in Central Park, taking passengers on two trips over the course of the day. Passerby Caroline Londahl-Smidt testified that she worried after noticing his prominent ribs and seeing him seem to struggle up a hill, with McKeever shaking the reins in an apparent effort to hurry the horse along. Prosecutor Sophie Robart argued that McKeever 'pushed Ryder beyond his limits' until the horse's body gave out. After Ryder left the park and collapsed, bystander video published by the New York Post showed McKeever snapping the reins at him and telling him to get up. McKeever's lawyer maintained that Ryder wasn't overheated or mistreated, and that the driver acted responsibly. McKeever, 56, testified that he strove to get the animal to stand because prolonged reclining can cause health problems for equines. Ryder's temperature was normal and his breathing rate was slightly elevated when Fontana measured it, after the horse had been hosed down for some time. Later that evening at the stable, Sierra found Ryder alert, with normal vital signs, but he noted the underweight horse walked weakly. The veterinarian said he believed the animal had a neurological problem. Two months after the collapse, an ailing Ryder was euthanized. A necropsy showed he had bone cancer. Carriage drivers' union shop steward Christina Hansen said Monday that the union has since taken steps, including improving access to a horse hospital. Drivers "enter this line of work because we love animals,' she said. Animal rights activists, meanwhile, continued to inveigh against the industry. Edita Birnkrant, who runs an anti-horse-carriage group called NYCLASS, called the verdict 'heartbreaking" and renewed a call for the city to stop issuing new carriage driver licenses. Another Manhattan carriage driver was charged with animal cruelty in 2013 after authorities said he kept a horse working for days with an injured hoof. That driver pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, a noncriminal violation, and was sentenced to community service, according to news reports. Court records of his case are sealed.
Toronto Star
21-07-2025
- Toronto Star
New York carriage driver acquitted of overworking horse that collapsed
NEW YORK (AP) — A horse carriage driver was acquitted Monday of animal cruelty in a modern trial about the old-fashioned coaches that meander through New York's Central Park. A six-person jury found Ian McKeever not guilty of overworking a horse called Ryder, who collapsed en route back to his stable on an 84-degree Fahrenheit (29-degree Celsius) day in August 2022. The horse lay on an avenue near Times Square for nearly an hour as concerned bystanders gathered around and police cooled him with a hose and ice. The animal ultimately got up, to cheers.
Al Arabiya
21-07-2025
- Al Arabiya
New york carriage driver acquitted of overworking horse that collapsed
A horse carriage driver was acquitted Monday of animal cruelty in a trial regarding the old-fashioned coaches that meander through New York's Central Park. A six-person jury found Ian McKeever not guilty of overworking a horse called Ryder, who collapsed en route back to his stable on an 84-degree Fahrenheit (29-degree Celsius) day in August 2022. The horse lay on an avenue near Times Square for nearly an hour as concerned bystanders gathered around, and police cooled him with a hose and ice. The animal ultimately got up to cheers. McKeever had pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge. His attorney, Raymond Loving, said the horse wasn't overtaxed and simply tripped while changing lanes on a Manhattan street. 'The verdict was very gratifying. This has been an ordeal for him,' Loving said by phone, adding that the evidence just didn't support the charge. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement that prosecutors presented a thorough case based on the facts and evidence. Featured in countless movies and TV shows, New York's horse carriages are popular with visitors and people celebrating special occasions. But animal rights advocates have long tried to get the coaches banned, and the issue became a prominent, celebrity-studded local political debate for a time about a decade ago. Anti-coach activists question the horses' treatment and contend that Manhattan streets are no place for equines, pointing to some collisions and collapses over the years. Enthusiasts say the carriages are a time-honored tourist draw that employs several hundred drivers and creates a role for surplus farm and race horses that might otherwise be slaughtered. McKeever, an Irish immigrant, has been a carriage driver for decades. His brother owned Ryder. A horse-carriage-industry veterinarian, Dr. Camilo Sierra, told jurors he estimated Ryder's age at 28 to 30, eventually settling on 26 – the maximum age at which carriage-pullers can legally work. Police Sgt. Vincent Fontana testified that McKeever told him the horse was 13. Ryder was outside for over seven hours on Aug. 10, 2022, mostly in Central Park, taking passengers on two trips over the course of the day. Passerby Caroline Londahl-Smidt testified that she worried after noticing his prominent ribs and seeing him seem to struggle up a hill, with McKeever shaking the reins in an apparent effort to hurry the horse along. Prosecutor Sophie Robart argued that McKeever pushed Ryder beyond his limits until the horse's body gave out. After Ryder left the park and collapsed, bystander video published by the New York Post showed McKeever snapping the reins at him and telling him to get up. McKeever's lawyer maintained that Ryder wasn't overheated or mistreated and that the driver acted responsibly. McKeever, 56, testified that he strove to get the animal to stand because prolonged reclining can cause health problems for equines. Ryder's temperature was normal, and his breathing rate was slightly elevated when Fontana measured it after the horse had been hosed down for some time. Later that evening at the stable, Sierra found Ryder alert with normal vital signs, but he noted the underweight horse walked weakly. The veterinarian said he believed the animal had a neurological problem. Two months after the collapse, an ailing Ryder was euthanized. A necropsy showed he had bone cancer. Carriage drivers' union shop steward Christina Hansen said Monday that the union has since taken steps, including improving access to a horse hospital. 'Drivers enter this line of work because we love animals,' she said. Animal rights activists, meanwhile, continued to inveigh against the industry. Edita Birnkrant, who runs an anti-horse-carriage group called NYCLASS, called the verdict heartbreaking and renewed a call for the city to stop issuing new carriage driver licenses. Another Manhattan carriage driver was charged with animal cruelty in 2013 after authorities said he kept a horse working for days with an injured hoof. That driver pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, a noncriminal violation, and was sentenced to community service, according to news reports. Court records of his case are sealed.
New York Post
21-07-2025
- New York Post
Horse carriage driver bursts into tears after jurors reach verdict in ‘Ryder' abuse case
A Manhattan carriage driver burst into tears Monday after a jury acquitted him of overworking his frail colt Ryder — who collapsed on a Manhattan street in 2022 and died months later. A jury of six Manhattanites acquitted Ian McKeever, 56, of a misdemeanor animal abuse count after a trial where the driver blasted the charge against him as 'ridiculous,' saying he's 'never been accused of abusing a horse' in his decades-long career. McKeever began sobbing after the not guilty was read aloud in Manhattan Criminal Court Monday morning. 3 Ryder the carriage horse died months after his sudden collapse on a Hells Kitchen street in August 2022. Robert Miller 3 Horse carriage driver Ian McKeever was charged with one misdemeanor count of animal cruelty. Steven Hirsch 3 NYPD officers tried to revive the fallen colt after he crumbled to the ground on the steamy summer day. FNTV After taking a moment to collect himself, he then turned around to the court gallery, flashed a grin and gave a thumbs up. 'I've been doing it 40 years, and I'll be going back.,' McKeever told reporters afterward. 'It's my life. I've been doing it my whole life.'
New York Times
21-07-2025
- New York Times
N.Y.C. Carriage Driver Cleared of Animal Cruelty After Horse's Death
One hot summer day in 2022, a horse named Ryder collapsed in Midtown Manhattan after a seven-hour workday pulling a carriage through Central Park. Videos of Ryder lying on his side on Ninth Avenue, his ribs visible through his stomach as police officers coaxed him to get up, circulated on social media, eliciting alarm. The fervor peaked two months later, when Ryder was euthanized: He was too unhealthy, veterinarians said, to maintain a good quality of life. The next year, the city charged his driver, Ian McKeever, with one count of overdriving, torturing and injuring animals. This month, Mr. McKeever became the first carriage driver in the city to stand trial for animal cruelty. And on Monday, a jury cleared him, delivering a rebuke to animal-rights activists who saw Ryder's death as ammunition for their effort to eradicate New York's horse-drawn carriage industry, a mainstay of the city for more than 150 years. Mr. McKeever, 57, had faced up to a year in prison if convicted. He let out a sob and put his head in his hands when the verdict was read. This is a developing story and will be updated.
