EAGLE MOUNTAIN, Utah (ABC4) — Everyone has heard the tale of the Headless Horseman — it’s one of America’s first ghost stories, over 200 years old. But every year in Eagle Mountain, this tale comes to life.
Washington Irving’s 1820 tale, ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,’ tells the story of a headless horseman who terrorizes the village of Sleepy Hollow. However, the legend of the headless rider can be traced back to the Middle Ages, according to History.com.
These stories include the Brothers Grimm and the Dutch and Irish legend of the “Dullahan,” or “Gan Ceann,” a Grim Reaper-like rider who carries his head.
Fast forward to today, and the legend lives on.
Legend turns to reality in Eagle Mountain each year, as a headless horseman in the flesh comes riding through town, causing onlookers to stop what they’re doing and stare.
You can hear him coming, the sound of horseshoes on pavement as he draws near.
“A good friend of mine does the Headless Horseman every Halloween. And so she’s out here with her beautiful horse, Jack, playing the the Headless Horseman for us today,” one resident said.
Some even got to snap a few photos of the headless rider at Eagle Mountain’s Nolen Park, as the rider and horse stopped to pose for their fans.
“It just really puts me and a lot of everyone else in the Halloween spirit,” another resident said. “I thought it was really cool. I was able to pet it and really I did think it was really nice.”
The Headless Horseman did not find his head this year, so if you run into him again next year, make sure to keep that skull of yours snug on your shoulders… just in case.
