2 days ago
Tyson Fury horses around with his family as he takes delivery of traditional gypsy caravan - while thousands of travellers arrive at Appleby Horse Fair
Tyson Fury has accepted the delivery of a new traditional gypsy caravan as he shared footage of himself 'horsing around' with his family.
The boxing champ posted a clip of the red, green and gold carriage on his Instagram story last night - sparking further excitement he might be on his way to Appleby Horse Fair.
It comes after Fury, 36, yesterday posted a video of himself riding a horse and trap.
While it was thought he may be travelling to Appleby, Fury later confirmed he had just been taking a ride around Knutsford, Cheshire, for scenes filmed for his Netflix show.
Meanwhile in another social media clip, Fury shared footage of him pulling his son along in a beautifully decorated horse trailer.
His son can be heard yelling: 'Giddy up horsey!'
While Fury growls back: 'You don't need a horse, you've got me.'
Up to 10,000 travellers and 30,000 visitors have been arriving in Appleby-in-Westmorland this week for the annual horse fair.
The picturesque town has a population of 3,000 for 51 weeks of the year - but this all changes in the first week of June as a result of the event which dates from 1775.
One traveller caused controversy by taking her pony to the 'chippy' with her on Thursday evening.
The grey and white horse was spotted queuing patiently at the counter of Appleby's Riverside Fish and Chips.
One local said: 'It's bad enough that they're galloping up and down the high street, but surely they don't have to go into takeaways with their owners.'
Two years ago drinkers watched in bewilderment as a pony was trotted through the Crown and Cushion pub in the town.
The pony's visit to the bar, thought to be to show it off for sale, was captured on CCTV.
Meanwhile Scarlett Tipton, 17, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, was seen putting her pony Duchess through her paces on the streets of the town.
She said: 'I love coming to Appleby, I'm here every year with my family. Duchess is loving the flashing lane this year, it's been great fun. I just wish the rain would stop.'
MailOnline also spoke to fortune teller Melvina Smith on Thursday, who has been attending Appleby for 30 years.
She said: 'The fair has changed so much over the years. It used to be a calm place where you could come to relax.
A woman with her horse in The River Eden for the Appleby Horse Fair
'These days it's so much busier and it's sad that there's so much trouble now. You see a lot of bad behaviour, which is mostly down to drink.'
Ms Smith, from Blackpool, Lancashire, bills herself as a 'true born gypsy' who reads palms and tells fortunes.
She added: 'My mother and her mother before her had the gift and it's been passed down to me.'
Travellers have also been washing their horses in the River Eden as part of a long-held tradition to prepare them for sale and to cool them off.
However, some have also been accused of smashing up a cricket pavilion, racing carriages along village streets, threatening locals with a penknife and fouling footpaths with human excrement.
A special police task force was also dealing with reports of burglary, criminal damage, racist abuse, knife crime.
Cumbria Police said last Sunday that almost 30 arrests had been made in the Eden and South Lakes area as part of their pre-fair policing operation.
Meanwhile, local sporting venue, Kirkby Lonsdale Cricket club, also saw its wooden pavilion smashed up.
Cumbria Police said that three 10-year-old boys were arrested over the attack as part of the wider Appleby Fair policing operation.
There were also problems at Woodclose Park caravan site where police investigated reports of criminal damage and the racial abuse of a security guard.
It was reported that a group of traveller children had been abusive to staff and when asked to leave the park's reception set off fire extinguishers.
In another earlier incident, police detained and handcuffed two traveller children after a penknife was produced in front of a shocked local on a riverside path.
One of the biggest concerns for locals is also the welfare of the thousands of horses driven to Appleby to be traded in the streets.
Last year two horses died at Appleby with both deaths being put down to exhaustion and overworking. The RSPCA intervened in 438 cases in total.
Local campaigners say stricter regulations need to be placed on the event with spot checks on animal passports.
The Appleby Fair Communities Group said: 'There are no checks on horse passports, we know horses are traded but the authorities never spot check passports. We know horses are moved, but with no check on passports ever. '
