A group is petitioning to get rid of horse drawn carriage rides following an accident on the Country Club Plaza over the weekend.
The company that runs the carriage rides is closed today. But right now there are 14,000 people who want the rides to stop permanently.
The crash Saturday night sent the carriage driver flying onto the walking path along Brush Creek and shattered the arm of one of the four passengers.
The accident has stirred up the debate on whether horses should be part of the Plaza's scenery.
A group Animal Action of Kansas City have started a petition on Change.org asking city leaders and owners of the Plaza to ban horse-drawn carriages.
"It's pretty clear that people are tired of this and want to let go of this practice that's pretty outdated and we consider it unsafe," Crystal Jones, the petition organizer said. "We've been trying to get this past for quite some time and this is just something that needs to be done," Jones said.
In places like New York City, where the mayor wants to get rid of the iconic rides, such proposals have failed.
"Safety comes first. Traditions can be let go but you can't ever get people back or go back in time and stop a tragedy from happening," Jones said.
2005 was the last time a gallivanting horse created chaos on the Plaza.
Regulated Industries told 41 Action News they hadn't received any complaints recently against "Kansas City Carriages" the company involved in Saturday's accident. But they do plan to launch an investigation to see if the company violated any ordinances.
The horse involved in the carriage ride crash on the plaza named Tiny is still alive.
His owners said he did not break any bones -- but he is officially retired from doing the rides.
Kansas City Carriages maintains their operation is safe and according to their website they plan to resume business Tuesday.
Kansas City Mayor Sly James sent this statement about the petition to 41 Action News:
"First and foremost, my priority is the safety of residents and visitors enjoying the holidays on the Plaza. I was sorry to learn about the horse's injuries but am thankful no one else was hurt seriously Saturday. I know the fourth district council members are hearing from their constituents and I'll be happy work with my colleagues to find a solution."
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Andres Gutierrez can be reached at andres.gutierrez@kshb.com
