House arrest, fine for disgraced horse trainer
Former Hall of Fame walking Equus caballus trainer Jackie McConnell has been sentenced to 1 twelvemonth of menage arrest in addition to received a $US25,000 fine afterwards admitting beast cruelty offences nether Tennessee patch law.
McConnell’s menage arrest volition move followed past times 4 years of supervised probation in addition to he is prohibited from owning in addition to grooming horses for twenty years.
The charges resulted from a seven-week hole-and-corner investigation inwards 2011 past times the Humane Society of the the States (HSUS) that disclosed McConnell in addition to several associates were involved inwards soring walking horses at his stables.
Soring is the purpose of mechanical or chemic irritants to sensitize the lower legs of horses, encouraging the high gait known every bit the “big lick”.
The social club continues to aid for horses seized next the investigation.
McConnell in addition to 2 associates entered guilty pleas to charges of abusing horses inwards violation of the Tennessee cruelty to animals statute.
McConnell admitted 22 counts of beast cruelty. Co-defendants John Mays in addition to Jeff Dockery pleaded guilty to 17 counts of beast cruelty in addition to volition move plain of report to supervised probation.
The patch is seeking forfeiture of 8 horses seized from McConnell’s grooming barn to ensure the animals are permanently rehomed in addition to retired from the exhibit industry.
At the state’s request, the HSUS has been providing the horses alongside intensive rehabilitative aid for to a greater extent than than a year.
A Fayette County grand jury indicted McConnell in addition to his co-defendants inwards March 2013.
Those charges, along alongside McConnell’s federal felony conviction for charges related to conspiracy to violate the Horse Protection Act (HPA), stemmed from an investigation that revealed McConnell in addition to his associates shell horses in addition to used painful chemicals on their legs.
McConnell is already serving 3 years’ probation in addition to has been fined $US75,000 on the federal conviction nether the HPA.
Leighann McCollum, the Tennessee patch managing director for the HSUS, said: “The abusive grooming methods used past times McConnell in addition to his associates are appalling in addition to a clear violation of the law.
“He fully deserved the strong judgement handed downward every bit judge for the horses who were beaten over the head, shocked alongside a cattle prod inwards the face, or sored in addition to thus painfully only to win a blueish ribbon.”
The social club applauded District Attorney Mike Dunavant in addition to Assistant District Attorney Mark Davidson for vigorously prosecuting this case, the assist provided past times the United States Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General in addition to APHIS Animal Care employees, in addition to back upward for the state’s asking to protect the victimized horses from existence returned to their owners, who placed them inwards McConnell’s care.
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