berrychiefs

One of the better moments captured by NFL Films this last fall was Chiefs safety Eric Berry's skittish reaction to seeing a horse on the field. As you can see below, Berry's full attention is on the horse (named Warpaint) and not the game itself.

 

It didn't take long for this footage to go semi viral. Since it aired, I've always been somewhat curious as to why Eric Berry fears horses more than I fear my parents unannounced pop-ins.

Berry appeared yesterday on NFL Live and after a handful of questions about drivel pertaining to football and not equinophobia (the fear of horses), Trey Wingo asked the million dollar question. Berry's response below:

 

Mystery solved. Berry was at a birthday party and tried to confidently pet a pony only to be bitten. Glad we got to the bottom of that. Or did we?

Deadspin also explored this with some video footage from the fall and when pressed on this same topic, Berry tells quite a different story. From the Deadspin footage:

"Like I told them, I got chased by a pony when I was younger on a field trip. I don't know if he was actually chasing me, but he came my way. I don't know what his intentions was."

Hmmm.

A pony chasing him on a field trip or getting bit by a pony at a birthday party. Two very different stories or perhaps they both happened? Maybe the initial explanation led people yearning for more as merely being chased by a pony didn't really seem like a traumatizing enough back story to warrant timidly hiding from a horse during a NFL football game. 

Some people are just scared of random things. I hate snakes, chalk, and touching jumper cables after some ridiculous driver's ed video scarred me for life. I have one friend who is afraid of car washes and another who will is terrified of buying a round of drinks. I've seen enough Youtube clips of people getting kicked by horses to by sympathetic that Berry fears horses regardless of a good story explaining why.

Either way given how infamous the footage is, it would probably be wise for Berry to firm up his back story here. I preferred the birthday party one personally but would suggest a bit more flair for the dramatic.

About Ben Koo

Owner and editor of @AwfulAnnouncing. Recovering Silicon Valley startup guy. Fan of Buckeyes, A's, dogs, naps, tacos. and the old AOL dialup sounds