Horse selfie has angry owner saying “neigh”

David Bellis, of Prestatyn, and his young son Jacob took a selfie when the horse came into shot.

He told Wales Online: “I don’t understand why Nicola is so annoyed”.

David is also defending his son’s right to shoot the photo and win the contest with it, saying that the horse is seen by passersby on a public path to a local school.

‘Despite questions over foal play, Mr Bellis and his family will be getting the £2,000 holiday prize they won after entering our #‎MadeMeSmile competition.

Their snap of Betty’s huge grin went on to earn the Bellis’s a luxury break courtesy of Thomson Holiday’s “Make Me Smile” competition, but when the mare’s owners found out, they shared their anger on social media.

He said: ‘Jacob is really upset and has been crying and asking me if we are not going to be allowed to go on the holiday anymore.

Now Betty’s owner Nicola Mitchell, 39, is furious that nobody asked permission to take the picture. “He should have asked for our consent”, Nicola said.

Responding to friends suggesting she demand half the money, she wrote: “I already have but (David Bellis) has blocked me”. If I had known about it we would have entered it ourselves and could have won as Betty is always sticking out her tongue’. Thomson Holidays later confirmed that Bellis could keep the money.

‘We are yet to receive a formal complaint, but we’ll be sure to look in to it as and when we do’.

“I couldn’t believe it when I realized the horse had chose to pose up for the photos too”. He was accused by Ms Mitchell’s dad, Phillip Dunn, 67 of “worming his way into a £2,000 voucher”.

Speaking about his decision to enter the competition, David said the photo had been taken weeks before as he and Jacob walked near their house.

But the likelihood of that trip has now been thrown into jeopardy, after horse owner Nicola Mitchell told him that she didn’t give consent to photograph the horse – and she is contacting Thomson Holidays to complain.

Domonique Cross added: “Had that been my horse I would have been over the moon for the little boy”.

“I just think it’s sad that rather than being happy for me that I won a holiday someone’s automatic thought it that they have been cheated out of something”.