Horse walks into a bar to hear 'Old Town Road'

'We must have played one of his favourite tunes because he rushed in there'

A horse walked into a bar after “Old Town Road” started playing. There was no punchline.

The horse, a New Orleans Police Department mount named Ace, has already made a name for himself in the crowded world of New Orleans street performers. Earlier this summer, he danced the Cupid Shuffle at a day camp for New Orleans children, to the delight of the audience and viewers of a viral video showing Ace end the show with a small bow.

In Ace’s newest video, he can be seen poking his head into a Bourbon Street bar just as a local band starts a rendition of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road”, which this week ended a historic 19-week run at the top of the Billboard charts.

“I’ve never seen a horse come into a club to dance,” a bystander told WWL-TV. “We must have played one of his favourite tunes because he rushed in there.”

“Old Town Road,” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, has become an anthem for a weary America, and Ace’s draw to the opening melody is reflective of not just New Orleans, but the nation as a whole. Initially released by Lil Nas X in December, the track has been through four official remixes, all with Cyrus, who came aboard after Billboard refused to list the song on their country chart.

At a time when many feel that barriers can only be strengthened, never broken, the collaboration signified the dream of an unfinished America, one open to as many new remixes as possible, including the one with Young Thug and Mason Ramsey.

Whether or not Ace the horse entered the bar because he understood the spirit of the song, or because he wanted to wish it a fond farewell as it heroically leaves its number one Billboard spot, or maybe just because he appreciates the song for its simple message of walking down a road, which horses love, is unclear.