Farewell, Junebug: Chattanooga’s celebrity carriage horse dies at 32

Driver Vickie LaRose, who has been training horses for 15 years, rigs up Junebug, a 14-year-old Belgian draft horse, for a ride on Sunday afternoon. Mark Neal is selling his 14th Street stable facilities near the Chattanooga Choo-Choo and relocating his horse-drawn carriage tour business to a more distant location. Driver Vickie LaRose, who has been training horses for 15 years, rigs up Junebug, a 14-year-old Belgian draft horse, for a ride on Sunday afternoon. Mark Neal is selling his 14th Street stable facilities near the Chattanooga Choo-Choo and relocating his horse-drawn carriage tour business to a more distant location.

By Judy Walton December 27, 2017 4 min read

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Farewell, JunebugCelebrity carriage horse dies at 32

Driver Vickie LaRose leads 14-year-old Belgian draft horse Junebug and her carriage out of the stable complex on 14th Street on Sunday for a short ride. Mark Neal is selling his 14th Street stable facilities near the Chattanooga Choo-Choo and relocating his horse-drawn carriage tour business to a more distant location.

Junebug, a 14-year-old Belgian draft horse, pulls a carriage with driver Vickie LaRose and owner Mark Neal down Market Street on Sunday. Mark Neal is selling his 14th Street stable facilities near the Chattanooga Choo-Choo and relocating his horse-drawn carriage tour business to a more distant location.

Braden Hipps, 2, Sarah Hipps, and Janice Grubb, left to right, stop to say hello to 14-year-old Belgian draft horse Junebug at the Chattanooga Choo-Choo on Sunday afternoon. Mark Neal is selling his 14th Street stable facilities near the Chattanooga Choo-Choo and relocating his horse-drawn carriage tour business to a more distant location.

Vickie LaRose drives Junebug, a 14-year-old Belgian draft hors, down Market Street from the Chattanooga Choo-Choo on Sunday afternoon. Mark Neal is selling his 14th Street stable facilities near the Chattanooga Choo-Choo and relocating his horse-drawn carriage tour business to a more distant location.

Mark Neal talks to GEM, an 11 year-old government enlisted mule he owns that served two years of service in Afghanistan.

Mark Neal rubs his hand just above the branding on GEM, an 11 year-old government enlisted mule that served two years in Afghanistan.

Junebug's eyelashes are shown. (Contributed photo from Beverly Neal)

Junebug's hoof is shown. (Contributed photo from Beverly Neal)

Junebug was a star at the Chattanooga Choo Choo.

For 14 years, the huge, honey-colored Belgian hauled Choo Choo visitors around downtown streets in a fancy carriage while her pal Nate, a Dalmation mix, perched on the box with drivers Corey or Beverly Neal.

Little kids who took their very first horse rides at the Choo Choo could come back as teenagers and still step up into Junebug’s carriage. She transported countless wedding parties, hauled Santa at the MainX24 parade, and “loved every minute,” said her owner, Mark Neal, owner of Chattanooga Horse Trams.

“She was really laid back, really enjoyed her job, really loved the people, and she really loved Nate, her dog,” Neal said.

And people loved her right back. Junebug didn’t work much around the Tennessee Aquarium stand for Chattanooga Horse Trams, but she had friends all around Market and Main streets.