Don Purcell finally made it to the State House on Wednesday — just not in the way he had originally planned.

Purcell — who ran unsuccessfully for Northeast Richland’s District 78 seat in the S.C. House in 2002 and 2004 — pulled up to the south steps of the State House, riding a horse-drawn carriage.

Purcell’s horse-and-buggy was the backdrop for Gov. Mark Sanford’s latest barnyard-themed stunt to prod lawmakers to move more quickly on legislation he wants to see become law.

Purcell, a former chairman of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, owns Columbia Carriage Works and Long Creek Equestrian Center in Blythewood. He offers horse-and-buggy rides for groups that schedule tours.

Last year, Sanford carried two piglets — who defecated on both the governor and the Capitol floor — into the State House to call out lawmakers on what he called “pork” spending in the state budget.

— From Staff Reports