Posted on 09/21/2013 7:41:30 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
In a legal dispute over a champion sporting stallion, Wisconsin's Court of Appeals decided it was a case of a horse — or two — apiece.
But the Viroqua trainer on the losing end of the ruling doesn't see it that way.
"It's been pretty frustrating," said Amy S. Hunter. "Basically it means I live in the wrong state. Anywhere there's some knowledge of the industry this would be different."
Hunter, 43, trained a sick horse back to health and productivity for a wealthy out-of-state owner, who Hunter says was so grateful she told Hunter she could keep it. But after the horse regained Grand Prix show jumping status, the owner demanded the horse back, prompting a lawsuit.
"I feel like the court sees this as a joke," Hunter said, referring to the trial judge's comment that an Irish Draught horse should be pulling a plow. "This is my life's work."
According to the opinion, Grace Shaw-Kennedy of California imported Cradilo, an Irish Draught horse, from Ireland for about $35,000 in 1996 but turned over his care and management to business partner Kassandra Ladd. The horse competed in dressage events for a few years until he was slowed by a lung infection.
In 2006, Ladd turned Cradilo over to Hunter, with the understanding Hunter would use Cradilo for breeding but also try to rehab him for a possible return to high-level competition.
(Excerpt) Read more at jsonline.com ...
Indeed.
She should be able to keep the horse. Former owner gave it her and she earned it.
I have been around horses all my life, but only watched jumping on TV, I notice 25+years ago they all looked like thoroughbreds but now are looking more and more like what we Americans think of as a draft horse. During one event I was watching they said something about one or more of the European breeds descended from the knight horses. Not sure what breed/s the announcer was referring to or if it is even true but the type of horses they ride has really changed over the years.
I was thinking that way too until I re-read the article. If I had to make the decision I would have made the same one the judge did. What swayed me was the owner sending her money to keep the horse going after it was “given” to her. I have sold many horses over the years, and given away a couple- never paid any expenses after I gave up ownership. Seems they had some sort of evolving agreement and absolutely should have had it all in writing.
Now I’m going to have to look for an excuse to stop in :p
If you seek justice, stay as far as effin' possible from the "Judicial" System... as they are the Cattle Rustlers in this story.
Very often I see Mending Wall misinterpreted and used to make a completely wrong point... thank you for knowing what the poem is all about.
Americans used to jump Thoroughbreds. Now they all seem to be warmbloods - part draft. And THAT’S a comment that will get the owners of the $100K+ warmbloods pissed! Oh well. I’ll stick to riding my cheap Arabian on the trails.
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