jess 1,244 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 from "Stuff" website .... Ongoing attacks force horse trainers out of business TERESA RAMSEY Last updated 14:03, May 1 2016 TERESA RAMSEY/FAIRFAX NZ Jonathan McRae and Dayle Pike with some of their horses on their Manawaru property. Two Waikato horse trainers are being forced out of their home and business after years of unexplained attacks on their property and animals. Over the past 12 years, Jonathan McRae and Dayle Pike have had to put at least eight horses down due to unexplained injuries, including cuts, needle marks, leg tendon injuries, stabbing and poisoning. They have also experienced hundreds of incidents of vandalism to fences, water troughs, horse covers and their horse truck. Jonathan McRae and Dayle Pike's horse Meomyo, was a potential jumping prospect before it was found with fluid leaking from it's left knee from a needle sized hole. Their Manawaru home has been broken into many times, with jewellery stolen and clothes and curtains vandalised, and fruit trees and vegetables had also been sprayed with poison. Their dogs, cat and chickens had also been injured in what they call attacks of intimidation, including a shot rat left under the door mat. Pike said she found her rooster with 2m of bailing twine threaded through its neck, when it was still alive. Supplied Jonathan McRae and Dayle Pike's horse Meomyo's knee was swollen and the horse was lame with fluid leaking from it's left knee from a needle sized hole. "It was really frightening," she said. The pair have no idea who carried out the attacks, which started happening in 2004. They have reported incidents to police, Ministry for Primary Industries, the New Zealand Racing Board and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, but investigations have so far been fruitless. Supplied Signs of needle scarring across race horse Meomyo's knee joint were found once the hair was removed. McRae said he slept in the stable for four months to try to catch the vandals. The pair had installed security cameras, but they only recorded flashing torch lights. "They knew the camera was there," he said. The couple said they were now "just about bankrupt" and their reputation as horse trainers was "shot". "We're going to sell, we're getting out of it. We've been running circles for 12 years, there's no point staying here," McRae said. The pair have ridden horses since they were children and are "heartbroken" to be forced out of racehorse training. Pike said the ongoing attacks had been very upsetting for them and other family members. "It was very stressful. We've been driven off our property, we're heart broken," she said. "We don't know what to do, this is our life." McRae bought the property in the 1980s and developed it into a purpose-built, horse training facility, complete with a riding track, lunging ring, horse walker and stables. "We've got everything we need there but they've forced us out," McRae said. JUMPING PROSPECT PUT DOWN The racehorse Meomyo was one of eight horses that had to be put down over a 12-year period due to unexplained illness and injury. McRae said the potential race mare, owned by the couple, was found with fluid leaking from it's left knee from a needle sized hole in July, 2014. The thoroughbred was lame, so the knee was shaven at the leakage site a week later because the mare's condition had not improved. Two circular marks were observed, so hair remover was then used on both knees to determine the extent of the abnormality, he said. "The left knee had the signs of needle scarring across virtually the entire knee, joint capsule, and the right knee did not display any marks and the skin was unblemished," he said. Over a period of time, the mare's knee became arthritic with the onset of lameness and had to be put down, he said. "In July, 2014, our three jumping prospects had their race careers permanently extinguished over two nights due to debilitating injuries being caused." One horse, Traditio, had needle marks observed on the back of left fore tendon when the leg was shaven in preparation for a veterinary scan. The other horse, Ira Bean, was struck across the right hind in the stable overnight, causing extreme lameness. A large circular gouge was found at a later date to the outside of the right hind cannon bone. Neither were put down due to their injuries. - Sunday Star Times hizzy 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 2Admin2 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 Mmmm I believe racing industry management weren't interested in helping. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scooby3051 10,906 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 Such a sad story... they have been through hell. elbow, integrity and hizzy 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedley 1,900 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 the culprits deserve to be 'outed'..and have justice administered to them in it's full force integrity, elbow and hizzy 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gubellini 3,996 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 People who do this are not horse LOVERS. They are the type who will steal horse covers this winter. hizzy and integrity 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hizzy 52 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 Who ever is responsible for these attacks are lowlife scum who sneak around under the cover of darkness doind there evil deeds and will all ways remain anonymous unless of course if they are caught in the act. Here is hoping the karma bus stops for them real soon. integrity and hedley 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryb 2,064 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 Interesting that these attacks occurred over such a long period of time. Does draw one to a conclusion that 1) They have majorly pissed someone off in the community, 2) Someone wanted their land. People doing stuff for kicks get bored and give up soon enough. Often the media doesn't portray the full story, now I am not condoning what has happened as its bloody terrible and sick, but over time I have learnt there is often more than meets the eye in cases like this. bestbets, mckenzie, kakama and 4 others 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdytdy 5,341 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 There was a story about this back in 2005 in Investigative magazine I think. Story was titled They Shoot Horses Don't They by Neill Hunter. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
crustyngrizzly 1,700 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 9 hours ago, hesi said: Trained Legal Regal Used to post on here A few on here know him very well Yes, a lot more to this, had a lot of enemies in Matamata When you say '''had a lot of enemies''do you mean within the industry and if so are these people license holders or previously license holders. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdytdy 5,341 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 I think Hesi means they haven't read Dale Carnegie's best selling book. elbow 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gubellini 3,996 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 hesi is referring to a most unsavoury incident at the Matamata track last year over which a mysterious cone of silence has been placed. Grant R 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jess 1,244 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 Gubs - is it possible - without getting the good folks here at the café in any trouble of course - to raise said "cone of silence" a smidge and enlighten us? From the first article this whole thing is an extremely protracted and bizarre situation - and all the more weird after reading the Investigate link posted by Hesi .... elbow 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gubellini 3,996 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 Jess last August Jonathan was subject to a cowardly and vicious attack by three staff members of another Matamata stable at the Matamata track. He was forced to drive his truck and horses back to Manawaru in a dazed and head bloodied state. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jess 1,244 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 Thanks Gubellini. Do you know if there was a complaint lodged with Police over the incident to which you refer? Also - what action did NZTR take? - I presume that we're talking about licence holders here on NZTR property after-all? In terms of the overall situation - In most cases - after being "under attack" and targeted for over 10 years - a motive would have revealed itself - if not a culprit/s? hizzy 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
crustyngrizzly 1,700 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 If 3 were involved then others will know who they are.Time for them to be outed and taken to account. Another example of the press and their no nothing,see nothing say nothing policy. integrity, Canelo and hizzy 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jess 1,244 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 CnG - do we blame the press here? What role NZTR and other licence holders? And I'd still be interested to know if any Police complaint was made? Sounds like this incident was not anonymous or executed under the cover of darkness .... Canelo and crustyngrizzly 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gubellini 3,996 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 jess no complaint was laid with the Police. As for the other matters refer to my statement "cone of silence" and draw your own conclusions. Seems image is more important than integrity. crustyngrizzly, Canelo and elbow 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
crustyngrizzly 1,700 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 Seems like the rugby disease of'''what happens on tours stays on tour'''' is alive and well in the racing industry. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jess 1,244 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 Thanks for response Gubellini. I infer from it that maybe certain people are not speaking out when they have knowledge of or witnessed nefarious/illegal behavior - but what of the victim here? Do you know why did he not make a complaint? The account here suggests he suffered injuries as a result - and there were witnesses and multiple perpetrators - I have no doubt Police would have taken seriously any complaint made - even if he had little faith that NZTR authorities would. Canelo 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdytdy 5,341 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 21 minutes ago, hesi said: I thought the attack happened at Te Aroha No. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gubellini 3,996 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 The silence of the RIU on this incident is deafening. THE TORCH 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jess 1,244 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 Indeed. You would think - whether or not a formal complaint from the individuals was forthcoming - the authorities would have started making some visits and asking some questions? Or maybe they have? - I don't know. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
von Smallhaussen 3,226 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 50 minutes ago, hesi said: I thought the attack happened at Te Aroha No Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
von Smallhaussen 3,226 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 Good questions then for Wednesday Mr Earley Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jess 1,244 Report post Posted May 1, 2016 2 minutes ago, hesi said: That an attack on a racecourse happened, that it is well known, well you don't have to be Einstein to figure out that these protracted and ongoing issues are racing related and therefore as others have said RIU's domain Yes precisely. Hard to disagree with that. So given we are led to believe there has been/will be little cooperation from the perpetrators/witnesses - what level of cooperation from the victim do we think? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...