Posted on 01/12/2011 8:21:14 AM PST by SwinneySwitch
Two men were arrested for driving while intoxicated on 6th Street Friday night. One was riding a horse, while the other was riding a mule.
Austin police say the ment were both intoxicated. They were apparently trying to lure people out of bars and into the street to take pictures with them and their farm animals.
Bartender Brian Matthews thought he'd seen everything, that is until he walked outside to have a cigarette Friday night.
"There were these two guys on horses, or mules, or something, outside of Shakespeare's," he said. "(It) looked like they were being pulled over for a DUI."
Jose Rios, 33, and sidekick, Samuel Olivo, Jr., 48, parked their horse trailer near I-35 and 12th Street. They rode their mule and horse down to 6th Street, inviting peole to take pictures with them and their four-legged beasts.
Police video shows the two being stopped by officers. In the video, Rios appeared to be so intoxicated that he couldn't even finish his sobriety test.
Austin police arrested the pair for DWI.
"The law has recently changed and the motor vehicle definition is a little ambiguous, but they felt that it would fit that criteria," said Commander Jason Dusterhoft, of the Austin Police Department.
The DWI charges may be lowered to public intoxication.
"In the city of Austin it is legal to ride a horse on a public street," said Commander Dusterhoft. "What we were obviously concerned about is them being intoxicated, inviting people out into the street causing a danger, causing a danger ... to themselves, the public, the horses."
"Well, it was unusual. You certainly don't get these types of arrests. This is the first time I've ever encountered this," said Tony Plohetski, a writer for the Austin American Statesman who first reported the story. "I think one of the big questions that I think a lot of people are going to have is, was this really against the law? Is it against the law to be intoxicated going down a city street on a farm animal? And there are, from the best I can tell, different opinions about that."
One of the cowboys was so intoxicated that police say he had to be hospitalized. The animals were taken to animal control and it isn't clear if they're back with their owner.
As long as the horse and mule were sober....
Austin where illegals raom in the sanctuary city. I hope the horse and mule are alright.
I like horses and mules more then drunken Texans. Too many of em are LBJ Republicans.
If ridin’ a donkey drunk is wrong..I don’t wanna be right.
Just don’t ‘be ridin’ dirty’, as Jeremiah Wrong would say.
The Law is an ass, literally.
2 Men Arrested for Galloping Under the Influence
No doubt the mule was the one with two anal orifices.
I would think they would have to be. Four legged creatures are not machines. There are more than a few cases where people riding these creatures got caught in a storm and simply let their horse or mule get them home safely by sheer instinct and memory.
It's unusual to have a sidekick 15 years older than the main character. If they got this wrong, there is going to be one mighty pissed-off hungover Mexican main character when he discovers he's been labeled as the "sidekick". 
Oh well, at least Jose and Hose B got to star in a movie.
True but they didn't drive themselves there.
This is why I don’t live downtown and avoid going there as much as possible.
These two were just Keepin’ Austin Weird...
They should have had people on 6th Street pose with Leslie Cochran, the mule and the guy who bicycles around TownLake in a thong.
Loved that movie.
I’ll let myself forget about Fonda being a leftist traitor long way to watch Cat. Only thing I’ll watch her in (well, maybe just a touch of Barbarella too).
If being drunk on horseback was illegal, then I would have spent much of my 30’s in jail.
What is an 'LBJ Republican'?
This reminds me of cops here giving DUI tickets to drunks because they were sleeping in their parked cars.
Same here. Lee Marvin is just too good in that movie to miss it.
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