By Meghan Keneally, David Torres and Tom Liddy
DNAinfo Reporters
MANHATTAN — The Upper West Side was looking more like the Wild West Sunday afternoon after a horse led cops and cowboys on a wild chase through Morningside Heights.
Steel, who belongs to the Queens-based Federation of Black Cowboys, got loose during the African American Day Parade in Harlem after taking a spill along the route.
The galloping gelding stunned passersby as he shot down 110th Street and then up Riverside Drive with wranglers, cops and helicopters in tow, according to witnesses.
“They had helicopters searching for him," said Rey Jean, 25, of the Upper West Side.
Jean had been watching the parade when he saw the horse take off. That's when he used his bike to give chase.
“People were panicking," he said. "Some people thought it was a movie."
Black Cowboy Michael Hondo Davis, 24, of Coney Island, said that his god-sister, Sade Conway, was riding Steel when they both took a spill.
"They went down together and then the horse got up and he started moving," Davis told DNAinfo.com. "He was frightened."
Davis, who has been riding horses since he was 12, jumped into action. "He was flying," he said. "The cops were in hot pursuit right along with us.
"[Bystanders] were like, 'Wow!' What do you say when you see a horse loose in the city? Wow, what a surprise. They were just as shocked as us and we were the ones chasing."
After dashing down 110th Street from Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard, the steed swung a right onto Riverside Drive, witnesses said. Near 116th Street, Davis and the responding officers gained the upper hand.
"We managed to try and corner him," he said. "I pulled in front of him and stopped him and grabbed him and pulled him into the grassy area.
"You pull in front of him and block him off. Hold your breath and hope for the best."
Cops walked Steel in circles for a while until he calmed down.
Davis, an outreach counselor from Coney Island, said that Steel is normally "a trusty and dependable horse" who was "feeling his oats."
"When a horse has home on his mind, it’s like a person," he said. "I guess he felt we were headed home and I’ll see you when we get there."
Aside from a few nicks and cuts, Steel came out unscathed.
"I feel relieved," said Davis. "I’m happy that my god-sister is OK. I’m happy that the horse is OK. I was just doing what I was supposed to do.
"We just used our horses. We used common sense cowboy skills."
