Wild horse known for jumping fences on NC’s Outer Banks has died, officials say
A beloved wild stallion known for defying the fences on North Carolina’s Outer Banks has died, according to the Corolla Wild Horse Fund.
JW succumbed to colic, despite being given emergency treatments at a farm, the nonprofit fund reported in an Oct. 14 Facebook post.
He was among the oldest horses roaming the northern Outer Banks and famously defiant, earning him the nickname “Jumper.”
“JW was well into his 30s, which is very old for any horse, but especially for a stallion who spent his entire life in the wild,” Corolla herd manager Meg Puckett wrote in a tribute.
“He was one of the more well-known horses due to his habit of jumping in and out of the Carova Beach Park. He came by the name Jumper honestly! If you have ever visited the park, it’s likely you saw JW there. He was one of the horses we could always expect to see most days, sometimes alone (he was a longtime bachelor) but often with the other old stallions who lived in the same territory.”
Carova Beach Park is a Currituck County facility with fences meant to keep off-road vehicles from driving through it.
A herd of just over 100 wild horses roams the area, and they are “creatures of habit,” Puckett said.
“These are wild horses so a fence doesn’t mean the same thing to them as it would a domesticated horse,” she said. “To them it’s just an obstacle blocking them from where they want to be, so they are going to find a way over, under, or through it if they’re so motivated.”
JW actually schooled younger horses on how to jump the fences, she noted.
He began showing signs of colic in September and the fund worked to manage his symptoms. He seemed to be getting better, but then suddenly “became acutely worse” on Oct. 10.
“Based on his history, his age, and the severity of the colic episode, our veterinarian and herd management team made the decision to humanely euthanize him,” the fund reported.
He was part of a band of old bachelors on the island that appear to be reaching the end of their lives, Puckett said.
“It is bittersweet – there has been a lot of smiling through the tears the last few days as we’ve been remembering this old guard and reflecting on the lives they lived and the lessons they taught us,” Puckett said.
“There is a new generation of stallions taking their place now, and there’s an even newer generation behind them waiting in the wings. This is the same cycle of life and death that has been happening here for hundreds of years. It is beautiful, it is sacred, and it is one of the cornerstones of a healthy population.”
The Corolla Wild Horse Fund is a nonprofit that tends and protects the wild herd with the help of donations.
This story was originally published October 16, 2025 at 7:36 AM with the headline "Wild horse known for jumping fences on NC’s Outer Banks has died, officials say."