Police Say 'Whoa' to 2 Men on Horses on San Pablo Ave. at Night

It being uncommon nowadays to see people riding horses down San Pablo Avenue, especially at night, El Cerrito police were naturally curious Sunday evening to find two men on horseback ambling along the city's main thoroughfare.

The two were stopped by police about 7:10 p.m. in front of Steve's Auto Care near Wall Avenue and asked if they'd mind offering an explanation, especially since it's illegal to ride a horse through the city without a permit.

"They were cruising through town to get to a stable in El Sobrante," said police Sgt. Ian Wong. He said there appeared to have been "a communication mix-up" that caused them to miss their connection with a horse trailer.

So they were hoofing it back. Police allowed them to continue on their way, Wong said.

El Cerrito resident John Stashik witnessed the unusual gathering of police, horsemen and horses, which he said occurred on the sidewalk. A member of a third species – El Cerrito police dog Koda – also was at the scene but stayed in the car, Stashik said.

He said both men appeared to be middle-aged in casual clothes, not rodeo or cowboy attire. One horse was a palomino and the other a bay or black horse, he said.

Afterwards, which way did they go?

"They rode toward Richmond in the dark," Stashik said.

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