Victim of horseplay: Police horse punched by English football hooligan dies
A police horse named Bud, who made headlines when he was brutally punched by a Newcastle United hooligan during fighting after a derby match with fierce rivals Sunderland, has died in retirement.
Thug Barry Rogerson, 45, was caged for a year in 2013 for attacking Bud while wearing a Newcastle scarf over his face when trouble flared after a 3-0 loss in the Tyne-Wear derby to Sunderland outside Newcastle's St James' Park.
Bud became a social media sensation, and well-wishers sent flowers and presents to his stable while he recovered. Meanwhile Rogerson was convicted of violent disorder, jailed for 12 months, and banned from all football matches for six years.
Bud was a member of West Yorkshire police's mounted section, and retired last year after 14 years of service, and died on Sunday at the age of 21 as the result of a fatal horse colic.
