Richard L. Connelley, former president and board member for the Kentucky Quarter Horse Racing Association, was removed from his post with the organization March 27 after he was hit with multiple criminal charges unrelated to the horse industry.
Connelley, who is a dentist with offices in Paintsville and Salyersville in eastern Kentucky, was arrested in Johnson County, Ky., on March 17 and charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence, impersonating a peace officer, possession of marijuana, excessive windshield or window tinting and failure to provide an insurance card.
According to the citation filed in Johnson District Court, Connelley was approached by officers in a shopping center parking lot after they received a call that a man was trying to convince a young female to smoke “Hawaiian Pineapple Express marijuana” with him. Officers found Connelley in a vehicle matching the caller's description. He showed them a badge, told them he was a deputy sheriff in Magoffin County and said had been with the department for 12 years.
According to the Salyersville Independent newspaper, Connelley was a deputy under a previous sheriff in Magoffin County, but it's not clear when that was. The arrest citation indicated that officers made contact with the current Magoffin County sheriff, who told them “Connelley was not a deputy and he had no idea how he even got the badge because he didn't give the badge to Mr. Connelley.”
Officers noted a strong smell of marijuana coming from Connelley and discovered a marijuana roach in his vehicle. Connelley was described in the arrest citation as having “glossy red eye[s], dry mouth, and coordination was very off.”
The citation also described a conversation officers had with a young woman who had received a Facebook message from Connelley, who she said was her dentist. She said Connelley first asked if she was brushing her teeth, and then sent her a photo of a large amount of marijuana and then indicated that he didn't mean to send her the image. The woman expressed concern that Connelley had access to her and other women's personal information through his dental practice.
On March 27, the Kentucky Quarter Horse Racing Association released the following statement on its Facebook page and disabled comments on the post:
The board of directors of the Kentucky Quarter Horse Association have removed Richard Connelley as president and from the board of directors. Longtime KyQHRA vice president Graham Martin will assume those duties on an interim basis and together with executive director Adam Koenig, will ensure our organization remains focused on supporting Kentucky Quarter Horse racing.”
Kentucky saw its first Quarter Horse meet in years just a few days later, running Sandy Ridge dates at The Red Mile from April 1 to April 6.
On April 4, stewards in Kentucky suspended the owner and trainer licenses for Connelley pending an appearance before the board of stewards “regarding the disposition of his current pending criminal charges.” During that suspension, the ruling noted he would be denied access to all facilities under the commission's jurisdiction.
Connelley has owned and trained both Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses through the years, but has not saddled a horse since 2004 and made his most recent start as an owner at Belterra Park in October 2022.
The post KQHA President Removed From Position, Racing Licenses Suspended With Criminal Charges Pending appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
