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The Corolla Wild Horse Fund reported the death of 10-year-old stallion Bullwinkle.

According to information released by the Corolla Wild Horse Fund (CWHF) in a Monday, July 29, 2024 Facebook post, a 911 call was received at 11:30 p.m. on Friday, July 26 to report that a horse standing on the beach had been struck by a vehicle. “The incident was witnessed and reported by a visitor who had been surf fishing at the time,” stated CWHF.

The Currituck County Sheriff’s Office reported at around 12:30 a.m., deputies “responded to the Milepost 20 beach area in reference to a horse being struck by a side by side UTV. Deputies received information that the driver had left the scene. The by standers gave a description of the driver along with clothing detail and direction he left in. The UTV registration led Deputies to the information of the owner, Porter Williamson. During the process of towing the vehicle, Porter was noticed and fled the scene again. A Deputy initiated a foot pursuit and Porter was caught. Porter Williamson, 57, of Chesapeake, Virginia was charged with RDO (resist, delay, obstruct) and put under a 10k bond. Rhonda Williamson was also charged with RDO and received a 5k bond for false information to law enforcement.”

CWHF described the injuries Bullwinkle sustained as: significant skin trauma over the right side and back; broken right hind leg with fracture of the lower femur; left hind trauma and lateral destabilization of the hock with collateral ligament injuries, allowing the leg to bow outwards; and pendulous abdomen when standing and once euthanized fluid-filled abdomen confirmed with a fluid wave of manipulation, likely due to significant internal trauma and blood within the abdomen.

“Bullwinkle’s injuries were severe and ultimately fatal. Our veterinarian arrived on the scene early Saturday morning to humanely euthanize him,” stated CWHF.

CWHF noted that the stallion “was in the prime of his life, and went from being a symbol of what it means to be wild and free to a tragic example of how irresponsible, reckless human behavior can cause pain, suffering, and irreparable damage to the herd in an instant. Bullwinkle will never produce any foals. His genetics are gone from the herd forever and with such a small, endangered population the ramifications of that will last for generations.”

The organization went on to state that “Bullwinkle died as wild as he lived; at no point did he welcome our intervention and he remained wary and defensive even as he laid on the dune unable to stand anymore. The fight drive that he was always known for never left him, right up to the end. He was exactly what a wild Banker stallion is supposed to be, and we are glad that he at least never had to leave the beach – he was never meant to. He was buried at the edge of the meadow where the video from Thursday was filmed. There is not much comfort that can be found in anything about this tragic incident, but we are at least grateful that we could help him pass without further suffering and provide him with the respectful and dignified burial he deserved.

“We’d like to thank everyone who helped us Friday night and Saturday morning, especially the visitor who called 911. Otherwise there would have been no consequences for the driver, we would have never known what happened, and Bullwinkle may have suffered for longer than he did. Thank you to our community who came together to help us that night and into the day on Saturday, to the Currituck County sheriff’s department for their quick response and on-going support, and to our staff and veterinarian for their unending dedication to always doing what’s best for the horses.”

For more information about the Corolla Wild Horse Fund and the Corolla wild horses, go to corollawildhorses.org.

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