‘That's how you stymie a horse,' Blazers' coach says after biting runaway animal

When hockey Coach Doug Sauter saw a Belgian horse break free of its reins at the state fair and endanger a woman's life, he didn't hesitate to help.

He corralled a spooked horse by biting its ear.

"That's how you stymie a horse,” he said. "You bite it as hard as you can, and it won't move.”

Sauter, head coach of Oklahoma City's Blazers hockey team, was going about his business at the time as part of another team that night: The Express Clydesdales, who were there competing in the Oklahoma State Fair Centennial Expo's Draft Horse Show along with seven other, eight-horse wagon teams.

Initially, fair officials said a wagon pulled by one of the teams of six horses had fallen on the woman Saturday. Monday, they said the woman was caught underneath a horse and trampled. The woman was taken to an area hospital after the accident. Her identity was not released by fair officials.

"It was a scary deal,” said Sauter, who helps prepare the team of Clydesdales and its wagon for each competition. The coach also said he was just one of many people who came to the woman's aid.

"Everybody jumped in and helped out,” including men from other teams, cowboys from the street and even police, he said.

Sauter said biting a horse's ear to control the animal is a commonly used tactic in wild horse races like those at the Calgary Stampede, in Calgary, Alberta, although some competitions don't allow the practice. He said he has been working with the Express Clydesdales since 1998, and travels to numerous shows every year.

During draft horse shows, each team pulls a wagon inside of a competition arena, where it is judged on how well the horses work together. The horses' physical make-up and the appearance of the wagons and harnesses also are evaluated.

Upon entering the arena, the horses work the ring wall in both directions and the competition ends with the judges conducting a thorough inspection of the horses and wagons.

The Express Clydesdales team had participated in its heat and was waiting for another run about 7:30 p.m. as the final two teams were preparing to make their first entries when the mishap occurred.

Sauter said the driver of the spooked teamdid a good job of controlling his team.