999 call made about 'stranded horse' stuck in flooded Yorkshire field - which turns out to be statue of World War One soldier and mount

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service group manager Bob Hoskins said: “We have attended reports of a horse stuck in flood water near Ripon. An officer trotted off to check out the situation and discovered a statue of a horse in the middle of the field.

“There was ‘neigh’ further assistance required on this occasion.”

The statue of a World War One soldier leading his horse stands on land owned by British Canoeing beside the River Ure. It has been there since 2018, when it was installed as part of a sculpture project called Fields of Mud, Seeds and Hope which commemorated the centenary of the war’s end. It was then agreed with Ripon Poppy Appeal that it would remain at the canoe launch site.