After an absence of two years, due to the Corvid pandemic, the annual Hog Stampede returned to Smalltown yesterday.
The event, which is Somerset’s equivalent to the Spanish Running of the Bull, saw around 194 pigs, boars and hogs running free along Smalltown Promenade as members of the public ran ahead of them, trying to avoid being trampled by the beasts.
The animals were then corralled on the Seafront as part of the Porcine Promenade Parade, with members of the public able to inspect the hogs more closely.
This year only a small number of injuries were sustained by participants during the Hog Stampede, mainly limited to twisted ankles and trample abrasions.
A spokesham for the event said “The weather made stampeding conditions tricky, as the rain had made the roads slippery and this put off quite a few of the entrants. Normally we would expect to see several broken bones and even a death or two, so this year was rather disappointing in that regard. Despite the conditions we still manage to raise some much needed funds for the Smalltown Area Ship Hovercraft and Helicopter biscuit appeal.”
The event finished with a Hog Roast on the beach.