This is the mayor of the English village of Cockington. After a scream on her face: Madonna counterattacks

Patrick trotted through the park in Cockington, England, in a red robe, a gold chain with a village medal around his neck, and glittering boots. A hiker takes off his hat and says hello. “How is the mayor today? May he live long!” He doesn’t seem impressed and doesn’t say a word. Which is not unusual – because Patrick is a horse. The Shetland pony has been mayor of the village of Cockington in the English county of Devon for six months.

‘Someone said Patrick should be mayor’, remember Kirk and Hannah Petrakis, who for a long time owned a horse and carriage business in the village and where the pony is at home. In the village pub “The Drum Inn” Pony Patrick – named after his birthday on St. Patrick’s Day – was already a celebrity. In a small enclosure in the garden he received children, people with disabilities and anyone who longed for company.

Idea born at fundraiser

The idea for his office came about during a fundraising campaign. 220 supporters signed a petition, followed by a festive ceremony and blessing, in which even the local member of parliament showed up. The former mayor of Cockington had died a few years earlier and the rather representative post has been vacant ever since.

The life of the Petrakis couple has changed quite a bit since then. “Did we expect all the attention? Patrick ends up in the Washington Post? No, definitely not.” Patrick can barely walk a few feet or stop people and stare at the pony with its tousled mane. Anyone who is at home in Cockington and the surrounding area knows who they are looking at.

“We are currently working on a project, a virtual city tour in which Patrick appears,” says Nicola Shinner, who meets Patrick with two friends in the village square. The three are taking a course in tourism at South Devon College. “But we didn’t know he was here today.”

22,000 followers on Facebook

Hannah Petrakis also constantly stages her bangs. More than 22,000 followers follow his political career on Facebook and more than 800 on Instagram. Gordon, who runs Weavers Cottage in the heart of Cockington, says many tourists, even from America and Australia, would ask for Patrick if they were his guests for scones and tea.

But, like all representatives on the political scene, Patrick has not only fans. Just a few weeks after taking office, he had to vacate his office at the Drum Inn. His housing did not have the necessary building permits and someone filed an official complaint.

“You have narrow-minded people everywhere who just can’t get out of their skin,” says Kirk Petrakis. 99 percent of the villagers would love Patrick, but some resented his being mayor. ‘Which is crazy, because who wouldn’t want a Shetland pony for mayor? Patrick pops up at openings and bites through ribbons. It’s not like he sits in the town hall and makes decisions.” The local council is responsible for this.

Still not back in the pub

Six months after taking office, the pub is still a forbidden area for Patrick. The owners do not want to comment on the pony when asked and refer to the decision of the district. Hannah Petrakis senses other motives behind the headwind. The Brit suspects that a man who does not even live in Cockington has ambitions for Patrick’s office.

After being banned from the pub, Patrick is often out and about in the local area in addition to regular visits to Cockington. At Rowcroft Hospice, a few miles away, the terminally ill can stroke and comfort his tousled mane. “You can see how they relax,” says Kirk Petrakis. The “pony therapy” should even help against high blood pressure, anxiety and depression.

“When Patrick comes, there is joy everywhere”

While one or the other villager laughs at Patrick’s office or welcomes him as a welcome tourist magnet, Kirk and Hannah Petrakis firmly believe that he was also made for the office in terms of content. “People are tired of politics. A member of parliament stops by, allows himself to be photographed and then moves on. When Patrick comes, there is joy everywhere. No political games.”

Patrick must still have political ambitions: “World peace,” says Kirk Petrakis. “We put you in a room with Putin and all the other powerful people and you handle it”he says, turning to his animal rep. Cottage operator Gordon even hopes for a “stroke of genius” from the pony that will reverse Brexit.

Patrick himself is not disturbed by these expectations. After a walk through the village, he chews a carrot and takes a deep gulp of Guinness at his mobile, light blue “Patrick’s Bar” – his owners believe that flocking is healthy for ponies. (saw/sda/dpa)