I thought it was a brother of the twins?
It was Robert. TBH, I do not remember if his arson conviction was for burning down a house for insurance, or burning down barns.
What’s the name of the Netflix series that features this? I’ll definitely watch!
I also remember reading a follow-up to Hot Blood yrs later- I think it was in the COTH?
“Bad Sport” Episode 5 is “Horse Hitman.”
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Just looked at the summary. Supposedly Tommy Burns (the “hitman”) expresses regret for what he did. Is that correct? Is this another instance of a despicable person seeking redemption as they near the final chapter of their life?
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Yes, the older brother.
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I remember it well and was working for Barney Ward during this time. I even met Tommy Burns when he came to Barney’s to discuss a “situation” Went out to dinner and drinks with him and his friend. Specifically, he was there to do away with one of Alexa Bell’s horses, Eclair or Easter Light, because of some slight Barney perceived. I don’t know if it went through or not. And, he asked Scott Hutchinson (Suzie’s brother who was working there too) to participate. He asked me if he should because he’d be well compensated and I pleaded with him not to. I don’t think he did.
After Barney was released from prison, he had a lifetime ban from attending any AHSA (at that time) shows and couldn’t step foot on the grounds even if not competing. You’d see him standing alongside the road watching McLain compete at Old Salem or whatever it’s called.
iJump - it was a crowbar. Sandman was what they called Tommy. Sand Castles was the horse. I remember seeing that horse at a show in FL, gorgeous young chestnut.
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many people involved in the scandal still sell horses for a living today.
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He’s remorseful that he got caught.
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The horse that had his leg broken with the crowbar was Streetwise. His insurance policy didn’t cover colic, you see.
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Right, I stand corrected. I always got them confused.
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I’m 44… and totally remember this? I was still young but remember being horrified by it all… and feeling bad for Mclain since it all came out right around the end of his junior years/early pro years.
That being said… let’s not forget that Barney still got on Obit on COTH after pleading guilty. So horse people have interesting memories… and it’s pretty shocking at times.
There are definitely people involved in this scandal that are still out there… and probably because some others took the fall for them. It’s a shame and not necessary, but what is still as obvious today as it was 20,30,40 years ago… Money Still Talks.
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There are – or at least there were – many PV supporters on this board who still train, buy, etc with him. They always said the same things. He made a “mistake” (lots of arguments about that word). And he’s such a great trainer. It’s amazing what people will ignore for a pretty blue ribbon.
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Yep. People that would be against “animal abuse” but attaching wires to a horse’s ears and anus and frying them is perfectly ok apparently. Not something that you do accidentally.
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It is amazing, isn’t it? Apologists abound in the horse show world.
I know I own a “less than perfect” horse. Are there days when I get frustrated, or wish it was a better mover or a little fancier? Of course. But to arrange for that creature— who acknowledges my arrival and recognizes my voice— to be killed for an insurance payout simply because it’s not quite measuring up? That’s a one way ticket to hell.
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Was that the same barn that John Garvey may or may not have burned down? A quick Google search indicates he (JG) was convicted but then it was overturned.
Sports Illustrated did an article in 1992 about it. Graphic and chilling. https://vault.si.com/vault/1992/11/16/blood-money-in-the-rich-clubby-world-of-horsemen-some-greedy-owners-have-hired-killers-to-murder-their-animals-for-the-insurance-payoffs
And in a very “small world” sense, Rielle Hunter, a woman involved in a scandal with John Edwards, was the daughter of the man who supposedly taught Tommy Burns how to kill horses. Including one he had bought for her - she didn’t know anything about her father’s plan to kill the horse and had actually been hanging out at the barn in a truck with her boyfriend when Burns killed the horse. https://www.espn.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=munson_lester&id=3533725
People can be pretty amazingly awful.
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He had a good attorney but at his next hearing he was sentenced to 3 years in prison Set his own barn on fire and killed 23 horses for $193K in insurance money.
Do you know if he is still in SoCal?
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I don’t believe is is sorry at all.
Is George Linderman JR still involved in horses in anyway?
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