Show Horse taken from stall and slaughtered

It’s a fact of life that anyone will do anything when money is involved. Regardless of who or what they hurt!

I would like to think that there are some people out there who would NOT do anything when money is involved, least of all slaughter their own horse on their own property.

My heart goes out to the Stephens and I hope and pray they find the sick individuals who did this horrible thing. I only hope the horse did not suffer…

[QUOTE=pepper1986;8374323]
That’s so true. The stories didn’t state if any one else owned this horse. It’s a fact of life that anyone will do anything when money is involved. Regardless of who or what they hurt! It was a very brazen thing to do. Noone heard anything in the dead of night? No dogs? I don’t know because I’ve never lived with a barn attached to my home but I would think that something would’ve be heard. Animals aren’t quiet and certainly not a horse at night when it’s taken from his stall but then again he was in new surroundings, unfamiliar routines happening so who knows. I sure hope that FDLE is heavily involved with figuring out what happenned.[/QUOTE]

I would like to think that there are some people who Won’t DO ANYTHING for money, especially slaughtering their own horse on their own property. I hope the find the sick individuals who did this horrible thing and make them pay.

My heart goes out to the Stephens family during this horrible ordeal.

It has been stated that Debbie had just purchased the horse and imported it herself. If you have ever lived attached to a barn, there is a certain amount of noise that goes on all the time. Unless its really abnormal you just don’t even hear it. It would not make much noise to lead a horse out of a shed row onto the grass. Very understandable that they did not hear anything unusual.

I have my horses in my backyard. All a manner of stuff going on and I don’t hear it in the house.

This is just so sick. Get a gun and a big dog if you don’t already have them both.

The poor Stephens, and that poor horse :frowning: I cannot imagine how horrifying find him must have been for them.

Would there even have been much noise in the barn, from just them taking him from the stall? It’s an experienced show horse that’s just come through quarantine, he’s probably used to a lot of people handling him, I’d imagine he walked right out. The ruckus from the slaughtering though I’d think would be enormous, though if it was close to the interstate and far away from the house, you might not even hear.

Appalling to think that this could essentially happen to any of us, any time. Certainly this was a situation where the horses are at a top notch, best of care facility with security, and it still happened.

With the recent busts of horse slaughter operations in southern Florida, primarily
Wellington i would imagine there is pressure on suppliers. I guess this is how they are going to meet demand, our pets.

This whole thing has our horse community up in arms. We knew it was happening down south, but it seems with the recent bust of illegal slaughter houses and countless horses being butchered right on owner’s property, that these disgusting individuals have made their way to Manatee county. Where I live. Where my horse lives. Where many horses live. I can only hope that this was an isolated incident and the amount of media attention it is getting due to being a high profile owner and horse, that these disgusting individuals move on quick. Or better yet get caught. 15 miles. That’s the distance from Centennial to the farm my horse lives on. How do we even protect these animals? Aside from sleeping out with them and being on 24 hour watch, there’s nothing to be done. It’s a helpless feeling. I pray that this does not continue in our area. Or any area for that matter.

There is always a glimmer of wonder when it’s high profile people like Debbie and Steve. However a week out of quarantine and trying to kill the horse for insurance money? Doesn’t really add up. Plus the fact that these people provide impeccable care to their horses. I had the pleasure of knowing a nice horse that came from Debbie. He could no longer do the type of work they needed,and was rehomed to his perfect situation. No horse murdering or anything. I think the Stephen’s are above that level. Steve has always been nothing but sweet in my encounters with him. This was a heinous act that quite honestly has me shaking in my boots for my own horse and countless others in our area.

This hits especially close to home for me since I bought my junior horse from Imperial and kept him there for the first year I owned him, and we shared the facility with Centennial.

A bit more about the property - it is on a private road/driveway with orchards at the far end and I can’t imagine many people would know about it. There are horse farms on busier/more accessible roads on the way there. At least when I was there some time ago, next to the absolutely huge jump filed was a doubly massive field where there were a few cows. We trail rode the horses around there so it wouldn’t be weird to the horse to walk to the far end of the property. The house is not directly attached to the barn and there is a good amount of landscaping around the house that would likely buffer the noise of a car going down the driveway. Were someone looking for a facility with a remote place to butcher, this would fit the bill, and it is very close to the interstate.

Very, very sad all around. I hate to think of this happening at a place where I have so many fond memories.

This story is just so horrifying. I can’t even imagine walking out to find something like this. My heart goes out to all those involved and close to this.

I hate Florida. I hate all the messed up news that comes from that state. People love to do really screwed up things in Florida.

They probably won’t, but it would be really nice if that poor horse had some justice for this crime. How sad :frowning:

It’s good to see so many BNTs supporting the crime stoppers go fund me page. I hope, if anything, this awareness can make some change for good out of such a terrible situation.

I am old enough to remember Volturno, killed by drug traffickers. I am so, so sad for the Stephens. Such good people, such a horrible tragedy.

[QUOTE=PeteyPie;8374209]
Yes, it is certainly in poor taste to suspect respected, wealthy, and influential people of committing such a crime. I’m sure it has never happened before and we should all have the good manners to realize it must have been a groom or the help or some Cuban person who could kill a horse for money.[/QUOTE]

Exactly and if a wealthy well respected person does something like this they can go back to training in a few years and we can all just forget about it. If it is some nasty illegal we can blame all illegals for something so awful.

This is an awful thing all things aside though and I’m horrified no matter who or what had anything to do with this.

According to the latest Chronicle article, apparently the horse was walked away from the barn with a loop of rope, walked to the far end of the property, and slaughtered for meat. Where his remains were found was about 40 feet from the road, and where the vehicle was parked. Another conjecture by the Sheriff’s Department was that the criminals were experienced at this, and knew exactly how to do this quickly.

My deepest sympathy to the Stephens.

For people making the insurance insinuation - Phedras De Blondel was not yet insured by the Stephens.

Detailed NYTimes article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/27/sports/prized-horse-is-led-out-of-stall-and-butchered-in-florida.html?module=WatchingPortal&region=c-column-middle-span-region&pgType=Homepage&action=click&mediaId=wide&state=standard&contentPlacement=2&version=internal&contentCollection=www.nytimes.com&contentId=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2015%2F10%2F27%2Fsports%2Fprized-horse-is-led-out-of-stall-and-butchered-in-florida.html&eventName=Watching-article-click&_r=0

I just don’t think a meat theft would involve removing the legs. I hate to sound so paranoid or wacky but I suspect a cult element. Or at least mental derangement of an extreme degree. Not a strictly profit motive.

Makes me sick reading the article where it was implied the horse got away and was caught again.

evidence indicates “the horse broke away for a short time,”

[QUOTE=thoroughbred21;8375238]
I just don’t think a meat theft would involve removing the legs. I hate to sound so paranoid or wacky but I suspect a cult element. Or at least mental derangement of an extreme degree. Not a strictly profit motive.[/QUOTE]

Well not even cult or what have you as those are usually in the movies, but, something odd, but, I’m just wildly miffed and confused. My deepest sympathies for the horse and everybody involved clearly it is a baffling horrifying situation.

[QUOTE=Fig;8375259]
Makes me sick reading the article where it was implied the horse got away and was caught again.

evidence indicates “the horse broke away for a short time,”[/QUOTE]

I can’t know more details, it’s too awful :frowning: