Perhaps it was the excitement of the Grand National , but this horse fell at the first hurdle after wandering into thick mud . It was hardly Becher 's Brook - one of Aintree 's most notorious fences - but Cody somehow found himself stuck in the bog in Belvedere , south-east London . Crew members climbed into the watery ditch as they tried to ease the distressed animal to safety on Friday afternoon . Sticky situation : Animal rescue experts spent more than an hour rescuing Cody after he wandered into a bog . Cody was covered head to hoof in mud after being dragged to safety , but - despite being shaken by the ordeal - was otherwise unharmed . Borough Commander for Bexley Richard Welch said crews worked hard to save the horse . He added : 'One thing is certain that it won ’ t be running in the Grand National tomorrow . ' Falling at the first hurdle : Cody got stuck in the mud after wandering into a bog in Belvedere south-east London . 'Cody has been taken back to the stables to be seen by a vet . ' Fire crews were dispatched to save him from his ordeal shortly before 1.30pm and worked for an hour and a half before freeing him at 2.55pm .
Cody was stuck after wandering into ditch in Belvedere , south - east derby . Animal rescue experts spent an hour and a half rescuing distressed horses . After being freed , the horse was rescued by a policeman and taken back to his stables .