Outrage After 16-Year-Old Horse Collapses And Dies While Pulling People In A Carriage In Central Park

CENTRAL PARK — Heartbreaking video shows a majestic carriage horse named Deniz taking his final, agonizing breaths on the pavement near Strawberry Fields Tuesday evening, just minutes after collapsing while hauling tourists through the park.

The 16-year-old spotted draft horse went down around 7:30 p.m. on West Drive near 72nd Street, still strapped to his carriage with two passengers aboard. Bystanders and handlers scrambled to free him as he kicked and groaned on the hot asphalt, but it was too late. Deniz was pronounced dead at the scene.

Owner and driver Nurettin Kirbiyik was devastated. He told cops the horse showed no signs of illness earlier in the day, eating and drinking normally, and had been cleared by vets as recently as March. A full necropsy is underway at Cornell University to determine the cause.

But animal rights activists wasted no time pouncing on the tragedy."This is a nightmare," said Edita Birnkrant of NYCLASS, who rushed to the scene. Video posted by the group shows Deniz struggling before going still. They’re using the death to ramp up pressure for Ryder’s Law, the controversial bill that would phase out the city’s iconic horse-drawn carriages.

The legislation is named after Ryder, another carriage horse who collapsed in brutal heat in 2022 and later died.

Just hours after Deniz’s death, dozens of protesters rallied at City Hall on Wednesday, waving signs demanding an immediate ban.“How many more horses must die?” they chanted.