I don’t know, that is why I asked. There were some things said that made me think it was a “large commercial shipper” and others (e.g., “stopping a few days to hang out with his friends”) that made me think “maybe not”.
I thought the shipper was that Earl guy?
Damnit. Flow chart.
[QUOTE=caffeinated;3954015]
I thought the shipper was that Earl guy?
Damnit. Flow chart.[/QUOTE]
But is Earl not with a major shipping outfit? Sure sounded like it to me.
And why would anyone be scared for their family, farm, horses, & self? According to those involved, this is just a silly little mix up. After all, when you are running a business, how can you possibly be expected to watch over your “product”. Gosh darn it, you are BUSY!
[QUOTE=Figment;3944443]
These are experienced, educated horse professionals…[/QUOTE]
So are the financial executives at Citigroup, AIG, Bank of America, Fannie Mae…
[QUOTE=bamboozled;3954119]
So are the financial executives at Citigroup, AIG, Bank of America, Fannie Mae…[/QUOTE]
That was the funniest thing that has been posted… Sometimes education allows you the intelligence and composure to pull off the best scams. Also, as it has been noted, an educated horse person with a great eye for horses (BW) could have easily noticed the difference in caliber but the similarity in appearance and just said, ah what the heck, it’s worth a try. As they say about murders, the first murder is always the hardest, they get easier as you go along. Once a theif, always a theif - not that this IS the case, I am just saying that is a known trend in the psychology of criminals.
Like Volturno. 
The world’s worst mix-up :mad:
[QUOTE=Fairview Horse Center;3954648]
Like Volturno. The world’s worst mix-up :mad:[/QUOTE]
Totally off the subject but what is this story. I just did a search and it said he was attacked and killed at the quarantine station… WHAT!!! Attacked by who or what and how did that happen… :eek::eek:
[QUOTE=MLP;3954680]
Totally off the subject but what is this story. I just did a search and it said he was attacked and killed at the quarantine station… WHAT!!! Attacked by who or what and how did that happen… :eek::eek:[/QUOTE]
From the KY Horse Park site:
VOLTURNO (1968-1988)
Volturno was a black Oldenburg stallion that, under regular rider Otto Ammermann, was a member of the German Silver Medal Team at the 1978 World Three-Day Event Championships held at the Kentucky Horse Park. Volturno evented for 10 years at the highest levels, competing in 27 international three-day events and finishing first, second or third in 20 of these events. He was also a member of the German Silver Medal Teams at the 1976 Olympics in Canada and the Alternate Olympics in Fontainebleu, France in 1980. He retired sound. He was Europe’s leading warmblood three-day event sire, and had just been imported to the United States to stand at Hamilton Farm in Massachusetts for the 1988 season. He was tragically and brutally attacked by unknown human assailants while in quarantine in Virginia and valiant efforts to save him failed. He died at the age of 20. In tribute to this great Three-Day Event horse and his place in the history of the Kentucky Horse Park, he is buried on a knoll overlooking the water jump known as the Head of the Lake, one of the original obstacles on the 1978 World Three-Day Championship Cross-Country Course.
Doesn’t say with what but I would guess with sharp and/or blunt objects. Bunch of sickos.
[QUOTE=summerhorse;3954839]
From the KY Horse Park site:
VOLTURNO (1968-1988)
Volturno was a black Oldenburg stallion that, under regular rider Otto Ammermann, was a member of the German Silver Medal Team at the 1978 World Three-Day Event Championships held at the Kentucky Horse Park. Volturno evented for 10 years at the highest levels, competing in 27 international three-day events and finishing first, second or third in 20 of these events. He was also a member of the German Silver Medal Teams at the 1976 Olympics in Canada and the Alternate Olympics in Fontainebleu, France in 1980. He retired sound. He was Europe’s leading warmblood three-day event sire, and had just been imported to the United States to stand at Hamilton Farm in Massachusetts for the 1988 season. He was tragically and brutally attacked by unknown human assailants while in quarantine in Virginia and valiant efforts to save him failed. He died at the age of 20. In tribute to this great Three-Day Event horse and his place in the history of the Kentucky Horse Park, he is buried on a knoll overlooking the water jump known as the Head of the Lake, one of the original obstacles on the 1978 World Three-Day Championship Cross-Country Course.
Doesn’t say with what but I would guess with sharp and/or blunt objects. Bunch of sickos.[/QUOTE]
Good God 
That is horrible…why is it the World’s worst mix up though? That part from an earlier post I don’t understand??
Volturno was mistaken by drug smugglers for a similar looking horse that was “carrying” their stash. :mad:
I guess the plan was to retrieve it by cutting him open.
I remember reading the story in one of the magazines at the time. Germany was leasing Volturno to us for one season. I know that a Virginia Frozen semen storage place had one of their clients store his remaining doses there that they paid huge $$ for at auction.
Mother of God…
It has been many years (decades), but it still breaks me up, at the loss. When I was taking my straws for storage, they were packing up one of the 2 remaining doses. I never heard if it got a pregnancy. The storage facility was pretty proud to have been entrusted with it as they don’t usually handle horse semen.
What a horrible story, what is wrong with the human race… I really don’t know! So incredibly sad and disgusting!!!
[QUOTE=Lulu;3946216]
It’s not you! Something’s wrong with the site.[/QUOTE]
something has been wrong with the site for months! and none of the emails linked to the site work either…
[QUOTE=magnolia73;3951069]
If I had a 29 page topic where 50% of the posts were about what a crook I probably am, I would complain about the gossip as well.
Sorry that the story, at this point, is not more exciting. It must be disappointing to many of you that the situation was unraveled as it did, with healthy horses and satisfied owners and a decent explanation. Life is not always a Dick Francis novel or a Black Stallion episode. Sometimes it is rather mundane and random.[/QUOTE]
I must have a dull life, because I thought every bit of this story was exciting. Even if it was random, it certainly was not mundane. As Dick Francis novels go, it was every bit as riveting as the early ones, and much more so than the recent ones. It did lack any murders, but other than that, all the elements of a great plot are there. Reading the posts made my week. Much better than AIG, Madoff or octo-mom!
And remember, lots of horses got killed and switched in the past, and the tip of the iceberg is found if you read “Hot Blood” or google the participants in the big insurance fraud scams a few years ago. And Helen Brach was murdered.
Some of the participants in this instant case are very streetwise, and altho lacking in charisma, are such that one must watch them like the hawk.
So who will buy Good Guiness? He won 3 grand prixs in Calif., but some people have maligned his performances there. (Did those people’s horses win grand prixs?)
And what will happen to Con Air/Kanye, whether that is one horse or two horses?
Stay tuned. Hopefully the people “in the know” here and on HSS will tell us. If HSS ever straightens out its website.
[QUOTE=cloudyandcallie;3956472]
So who will buy Good Guiness? He won 3 grand prixs in Calif., but some people have maligned his performances there. (Did those people’s horses win grand prixs?)[/QUOTE]
First, I think the 3 wins that are mentioned are overstated. At least one was a “Classic,” I believe.
Regarding the comment “Did those people’s horses win grand prixs?” The answer personally is no. I don’t ride at anywhere near that level. If you are talking about the barn I was at during GG’s supposed dominance, that is another story.
During the time when GG was supposedly a top GP/High Junior Jumper horse (with world-beater status the way some people who live on the opposite of side of the country seem to write about him) my barn had the following:
One of the top World Cup Jumpers in the country and participated in the World Cup finals in Gothenburg.
The top junior jumper rider in the country (and a couple not too far behind).
More winners of Grand Prixs and top Junior Jumper events than any barn in Zone 10 and probably more than most of the other areas in the country.
For the record, when GG was competing against our barn, we would often have three or four horses placing above it in the GPs. The horses that will be ready next year are also going to be superb. I watched many of the competitions last year that GG was in (Did you?). I also saw all of my barn’s top jumpers schooling and competing on a regular basis. So, from a comparative basis, I made my assessment that if someone has several hundred thousand dollars to spend on a horse, they won’t pick a horse that can’t stand up to the local competition. GG was on its two week winning streak when most of my barn was up at Spruce Meadows. At a competitive GP, I don’t recall GG being in the top ten. I reviewed some of the results of GPs my barn was at and GG was often 20th place or below.
I’m not a Grand Prix rider or owner (I wish!!!)
But I don’t think it takes a Grand Prix rider to make the observation I did, which is that I have never seen the horse go around with less than 2 rails in a Grand Prix of $30,000 or more. I have often seen him go around with 3, 4, 5 rails.
I am not bashing the horse at all, just stating that he was/is not a top tier GP horse.
