By admin 
Three passengers on a horse-drawn wagon at Lazy 5 Ranch were hospitalized Saturday when the horses panicked and jumped, tossing the riders off, officials at the popular exotic animals attraction east of Mooresville said Saturday.
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EMS took the injured to local hospitals “for further evaluation and treatment,” ranch officials said on social media. Their conditions were unknown Saturday.
Remaining passengers “were either unharmed or declined medical assistance,” according to the ranch, which didn’t say how many other riders were on the wagon. “The wagon driver is doing well. The horses were evaluated, unharmed, and returned to work.”
“We are saddened to confirm a tragic accident that occurred today,” ranch officials said on social media before explaining what they said happened.
“A limb from a nearby tree fell and struck the side of the wagon,” officials said. “The horses jumped, causing three passengers to fall from the wagon.”
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At least three million guests have taken rides on the horse-drawn wagons in the history of the ranch, officials said, and this was the first incident that resulted in hospitalizations requiring an overnight stay.
Henry Hampton opened the ranch in 1993, and he and his family continue to run the attraction, according to the ranch website. The ranch houses at least 750 animals from six continents, everything from antelope to giraffes.
The self-billed drive-through safari zoo is located at 15100 Mooresville Road (N.C. 150) in Rowan County, 36 miles northeast of Charlotte, North Carolina.
This story was originally published October 17, 2026 at 2:24 PM with the headline “3 hospitalized when horses panic and jump at popular NC tourist attraction.”
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