Drunken horse rider pleads no contest

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BUNNELL, Fla., Jan. 9 (UPI) -- A man pleaded no contest to charges stemming from his alleged drunken ride through Bunnell, Fla., on a horse, authorities say.

Charles Larkin Cowart, 29, pleaded no contest Tuesday to obstructing an officer without violence and interfering with railroad tracks or equipment, the Daytona Beach News reported Wednesday.

Before he was arrested during the Sept. 24 incident, Cowart refused to dismount for police and ran across railroad tracks after his horse injured a leg, authorities said.

The State Attorney's Office said it agreed to drop animal cruelty and fleeing or attempting to elude charges in exchange for Cowart's plea.

Cowart, who had been in jail in lieu of $7,000 bail since the incident, was sentenced to 90 days of time served and three years of drug offender probation.