Horse Owner Blasts Dad For Prize-Winning Selfie Taken Without Her Consent
A woman has launched a scathing attack on a man who won a holiday after taking a smiling selfie with her horse without getting her permission first.
David Bellis snapped the picture with his son while they stood in front of the horse who was poking his tongue out.
After sending it into Thomson Holiday’s ‘Made Me Smile’ competition, the 31-year-old was shocked to win a £2,000 holiday for his family.
However, Nicola Mitchell, the owner of the horse in Prestatyn, Wales, demanded half of the winnings and has complained to Thomson saying she did not give consent to David to have the picture taken with her animal.
David, who posed in the picture with his three-year-old son Jacob, said he had even been abused by Nicola’s Facebook friends, who labelled him “shameful”.
Angry: David was sent Facebook messages from Nicola’s friends (Caters)
Argument: David said he didn’t need permission to take the photo (Caters)
Now he doesn’t know whether he’ll be able to take his family on the trip - their first holiday together.
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.
“I don’t understand why Nicola is so annoyed about it. I was on a public path that everyone uses to go to the local school and everyone sees the horse there.
“I think they are just jealous that I have won something nice – it just shows how bitter people can be.”
Prize: Nicola’s daughter vented about her horse being used without consent (Caters)
However, Nicola has remained defiant in her complaint, arguing that she could have won the competition herself with her daughter Katelyne if they had known about it.
Explaining that they had taught the horse - named Betty - to stick her tongue out, Nicola said: “I ‘was really annoyed to hear he had won a £2,000 holiday and had used a picture of our horse without our permission. He should have asked for our consent.
“It’s not like it’s just £100. £2,000 is a lot of money and would go quite a long way for a family.
“I didn’t give him permission to use our horse in a competition.
Talent: Katelyne has taught the dog to stick out its tongue (Caters)
“I will be phoning Thomson Holidays to tell them what has gone on but I don’t know what they will do. But I will tell them I’m not happy.”
Nicola said they should be offered a “token of gesture” as it was their horse that won David and his family their holiday.
Her dad Philip Dunn stuck by his daughter, saying that David had “wormed” his way into the prize.
Thomson Holidays said they were yet to receive a formal complaint but would “look into it” if they did.
Top pic: Caters
