Train Pony Finds Pastures New
This article is old - Published: Sunday, Jul 10th, 2011
A picture of Ruby outside Wetherspoons published on Wrexham.com days before her story hit the press.
Ruby the world famous train pony of Wrexham has found a new home according to newspaper reports today.
According to the Wales on Sunday Ruby, previously owned by local traveller Joe Purcell, has been re-homed and is now living with chairman of the North East Wales Bridleways Association, Michelle Crowther from Wrexham after she was taken into care by Wrexham Council.
She was detained by council officers after being left on her own near the helipad at the town’s Maelor Hospital.
Concerns had been raised by members of the public after Ruby was left unattended at a number of locations including the garden area at the end of Smithy Lane and a graveyard in Pandy.
Wrexham.com reporter Liam Randall meets Ruby the train pony.
Here at Wrexham.com we’d like to think we were one of the first news agencies to break Ruby’s story to the world having posted a picture of her outside Wetherspoons on our Twitter account, just days before the story hit the papers and went global.
We even got to meet the local star outside the Welch Fusilier pub in town, although she was a little media shy.
The Welsh Pony’s story reached media organisations as far as Australia and America after CCTV footage was released of owner Joe trying to take her on an Arriva train at Wrexham General and into the Maelor’s A&E department.
Her story even spawned a number of spoof train pony Twitter accounts.
Readers will be happy to know that Joe is still allowed to see Ruby at her new home and that she is due to give birth to a foal in the near future.
A Wrexham Council spokesperson told the Wales on Sunday “Ownership of the pony has now been established. The pony is in good health and is being well cared for by the council until she has foaled, which is expected to be in the very near future.”
S4C is expected to screen a show about the pair at the end of July titled Joe & Ruby, produced by Chwarel with English subtitles.
You can share your memories of Joe and Ruby in our comment box below
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