MARTINSBURG — A combination of spooked horses and a missed or slipped hook could have led to Thursday night's incident that saw two horses run loose through a crowd of people at the Jefferson County Fair, officials said Friday.

At least seven people were injured Thursday when the two horses competing in the horse pull event ran through a group of bystanders.

Todd Wilt, the manager of the Jefferson County Fair, said a hook during the competition was missed and that "something spooked these horses."

"The horses back up to the sled and hook up to the sled and pull it as far as they can. Occasionally the hook is missed, or the hook slips," Wilt said. "Typically, the driver can give a command to get the horses to stop, or they're trained to stop. Unfortunately, something spooked these horses. The horses were given the command to drive and they drove like they've been trained, but there was no weight behind them."

According to Jefferson County Sheriff Pete Dougherty, four people were transported by ambulance to Jefferson Medical Center and one was taken to Winchester Medical Center. An additional two people were taken to Jefferson Medical Center by privately owned vehicles. Doughtery confirmed the most serious injury was a compound fracture as a result of the incident.

"Our hearts go out to the people that were injured," Wilt said. "They are in our thoughts in prayers."

Wilt said he is unsure of what exactly made the pair of horses run, but said the driver acted quickly in an attempt to get them to stop.

"The driver made a valiant attempt to stop them," he said. "He was drug about 100 yards by the horses."

After fleeing from the horse pull area, the horses turned toward a group of spectators who were watching a motorsports event nearby, said Wilt.

"Unfortunately the horses ran through the crown and hit the fence and ran back through the crowd," he said. "Eventually, one of the horses fell. The horses were bound together and that is what ultimately slowed them down."

The horses were loose for approximately three minutes, he said.

Doughtery said there we approximately 17 Sheriff's deputies on scene during the incident and personnel from Citizens Fire Company, Shepherdstown Fire Department, Independent Fire Company and Ryneal Medical Transport all worked to treat and transport the victims.

Wilt said he believes the Jefferson County Fair has been holding horse pull events for more than 45 years. However, this is the first of such an incident in his memory.

"Occasionally, a hook is missed; that's not uncommon," said Wilt. "Most of the time, however, the driver can get control of the animals. Like any animals, their reactions aren't what you think they would be...It's natural when a horse is spooked or scared to run."

Wilt commended the swift reaction of first responders and fair volunteers to render aid and get the scene under control.

"We have a committed volunteer staffing group here, and we engage the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, volunteer fire departments and medical transport," he said. "They were at the scene within seconds of the incident."

Although this is the first time that horses from the horse pull have stampeded that Wilt can remember, the Jefferson County Fair staff plans for all types of emergencies before the fair begins.

"We have an emergency plan; safety has been one of our primary focuses," said Wilt. "From electrical safety to motorsports, safety in a variety of areas. Incidents give you pause to take a look at your plan and maybe evaluate your priorities. Our fair is a very self-reflective organization."

While the fair staff is upset by the incident, they remain committed to providing a joyous atmosphere for the remainder of the event, Wilt said.

"We're very proud of our fair and that it takes hundreds of participants, exhibitors and volunteers," Wilt said. "Often it's a showcase of their talents and training they've done over months and years. We provide a great venue to showcase their accomplishments. Whether it's building the vehicles for the motorsports or our youth participants raising livestock...our primary focus is to showcase the diverse cross-section of our community."

Wilt has held the position of fair manager for 16 years and thanked the plethora of people who came together this year to put on the fair.

"It's as much about the facility as it is about our people, we have 200-300 volunteers who are very committed to what they do," he said. "We'd like to think we have a great facility. When the forefathers of our organization laid the fairgrounds out...they came up with a layout that worked for their time and allowed for expansion. We believe we still have room to grow. We've been blessed by our County Commission who has given us tracts to develop over the years."

Wilt said it is still too early to determine how Thursday's incident will impact future fairs, but he did state the fair staff is continuously evaluating its performance during events and makes adjustments as needed.

Wilt said his staff intends to keep the fair on its original schedule as much as possible, but stated that due to inclement weather, the motorsports events scheduled for Friday would be taking place today beginning at 3 p.m.