A pony at the Evansville circus bit a 2-year-old. He didn't need stitches, but Mom is angry
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — A toddler from Posey County was bitten by a pony after riding the animal before a Hadi Shrine Circus show last weekend, his mother said.
Grayson Tyring, 2, suffered a facial wound that drew a small amount of blood, according to his mother, Jasmine Drew.
The wound didn’t require stiches and has since cleared up, Drew said, but she’s angry about what happened.
"It definitely gives hesitation about going in the future, and it gives me a different outlook on horses and ponies (in the circus)," Drew said. "I was not a happy mama."
A Hadi Shrine spokesman cited the possibility of legal action in declining to comment about the incident.
For subscribers: Elephants, oh no? Evansville circus is one of the last in the U.S. to use animals
Drew said her family attended one of the circus shows on Nov. 26, and she took Grayson to the floor at Ford Center for a ride before the show began.
The ride happened without incident. When it ended, Drew said she and Grayson asked and received permission from the pony's handler to pet the animal.
That's when the pony snapped, Drew said.
"It turned around, bit him in his face and knocked him down on his back," Drew said.
The Shriners apologized to the family and refunded the $10 fee for the ride.
An EMT at the scene took Grayson off the arena floor and cleaned his face. Drew said an Evansville Police Department officer at the circus told her that she would need to hire an attorney if she wanted to file charges.
Drew said she is considering doing that in the hope other young children don't have similar experiences. She said animal rides appeared to continue following the incident with her son.
Evansville's circus, which is a Thanksgiving weekend tradition in the city dating to 1933, is one of a dwindling number across the U.S. that continues to use animal acts.
More: Tiger act under USDA sanction performed one show at Evansville's Hadi Shrine Circus
Hadi Shrine officials say the acts continue to be highly popular with fans, and this year's circus did well at the gate after the event's 2020 cancellation due to COVID.
The event has faced criticism from animal rights advocates, and a tiger act that remained under sanction by the U.S. Department of Agriculture was used in one of this year's performances, the one on Thanksgiving Day.
Hadi Shrine officials said they told the tiger act to leave Evansville immediately after they learned it did not have USDA clearance to resume performances. The tiger act was not a part of shows for the remainder of the weekend.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Hadi Shrine Circus pony bites toddler at Evansville's Ford Center
