animal cruelty | Horse Racing Free Tips

Following Ruling In Delaware, Pennsylvania Suspends Cobb For Two Months Under Cruelty Regulation

Following a ruling from the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission on July 19, the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission issued its own ruling with a two-month suspension against trainer Amber Cobb.

Cobb was initially suspended for two years by Delaware stewards for an incident which took place May 26. Delaware stewards said Cobb “demonstrated cruelty to a horse in her care, and due to this action, the Stewards find the fitness of Ms. Cobb is not consistent with the best interests of horse racing in Delaware.”

At a meeting on July 14, the Delaware commission chose to shorten the suspension from two years to two months, with the requirement Cobb attend anger management classes.

Now, Pennsylvania has issued a separate ruling based on the same evidence presented to officials in Delaware and mirroring the Delaware commission's two-month suspension. Pennsylvania officials are conducting their own investigation into the incident. The ruling issued July 29 would suspend Cobb through Sept. 20.

Cobb's attorney, Alan Pincus, did not immediately respond to questions about whether his client intends to appeal the suspensions, either in Delaware or Pennsylvania.

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Delaware Commission Reduces ‘Cruelty’ Suspension Of Trainer Amber Cobb

Mid-Atlantic based Amber R. Cobb had a two-year suspension reduced to two months by the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission, which conducted an appeal hearing requested by the trainer in a case involving alleged “improper or inhumane treatment” of an animal, along with conduct detrimental to racing.

The commission issued an amended ruling reducing the suspension after conducting the appeal hearing on July 14. “After considering all testimony and evidence the Racing Commission has modified Stewards Ruling 19-2021,” the ruling states.

In addition to the suspension, which runs from July 23 through Sept. 20, 2021, Cobb must attend an anger management program approved by the stewards, who are to be “apprised of her progress,” according to the ruling.

There are no specifics on the incident, which the original May 26 ruling said occurred on May 11, prior to the opening of the Delaware Park meet. Stewards conducted a hearing on May 21 and issued their ruling suspending Cobb from June 1, 2021, through May 31, 2023.

Stewards said Cobb “demonstrated cruelty to a horse in her care, and due to this action, the Stewards find the fitness of Ms. Cobb is not consistent with the best interests of horse racing in Delaware.”

Cobb received a stay of the suspension pending her hearing before the commission.

This is the third ruling against Cobb for “behavioral” issues. The trainer was fined $200 in August 2018 by stewards at Finger Lakes in New York for “engaging in an altercation in a public area.” In June 2019, also at Finger Lakes, Cobb was fined $250 for “addressing fellow licensees in an inappropriate manner.”

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A trainer since 2013, Cobb has recorded 83 career wins from 872 starts. She is denied all access to areas under the jurisdiction of the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission.

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Mcgrapth Arrested On Charges Of Animal Cruelty In Kentucky Boarding Operation Case

Xavier Mcgrapth, the subject of a criminal complaint of 13 counts of animal cruelty in the second degree, was arrested on April 13, according to an update from the Bourbon County Sheriff's Office in Central Kentucky. Mcgrapth, 24, of Versailles, Ky., came in for an interview regarding the case and was arrested at the conclusion of the interview.

“The Bourbon County Sheriff's Office and the Bourbon County Attorney's Office are working closely together to bring this case to a close,” read a statement from the sheriff's office. “At this time, all horses involved have been removed from the farm and relocated to facilities to best suit the care they need.”

Mcgrapth has yet to be arraigned and is out on a $2,000 bond, according to court and county detention center records.

About two dozen horses were discovered at a property Mcgrapth was leasing off Brentsville Road in various states of neglect in late March. Owners, many of whom were located out of state, told media at the time they had engaged Mcgrapth to board broodmares or young training horses for them after seeing his services advertised through Facebook as McGrapth Breaking and Training and/or Whispering Creek Thoroughbreds.

Read more about the case from our previous reporting here.

The investigation remains active, according to the sheriff's office.

The post Mcgrapth Arrested On Charges Of Animal Cruelty In Kentucky Boarding Operation Case appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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New Legislation Creates Animal Crimes Section To Crackdown On Animal Cruelty

In a major federal legislative initiative, Congressmen Joe Neguse (D-CO-02), David Joyce (R-OH-14) and Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) introduced the Animal Cruelty Enforcement (ACE) Act, H.R. 1016, a bill they forged in cooperation with Animal Wellness Action, the Animal Wellness Foundation, the Horses for Life Foundation, American Horse Protection Society, and the Center for a Humane Economy to step up federal action against perpetrators of malicious cruelty. The measure would create a new Animal Cruelty Crimes section within the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), housed within the Environment and Natural Resources Division.

Within the last three years, Congress and the White House fortified the legal framework against animal abuse, enacting the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act and other federal statutes criminalizing malicious acts of cruelty. The new DOJ section would concentrate on enforcing those laws and other previously enacted animal welfare criminal statutes such as the Horse Protection Act (HPA) of 1970 that was designed to stamp out the cruel practice of soring Tennessee Walking Horses. The ACE Act was conceived in part to help better enforce the HPA after nearly a decade of failed attempts to pass the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, and U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) regulations that would have eliminated the use of large-stacked shoes and ankle chains in the showring and revamped the industry's corrupt self-policing program.

“We applaud Congressmen Neguse, Joyce, and Cohen for the introduction of the ACE Act that would enable DOJ to ramp up enforcement of the HPA and stamp out soring, a task the USDA has failed miserably for more than half a century,” said Marty Irby, executive director at Animal Wellness Action, and a past president of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' & Exhibitors' Association. “Until meaningful penalties are meted out against blatant violators of the law, the cruelty practice of soring will persist. There must be a penalty to fit the crime.”

“U.S. laws are in place to protect animals from torture and abuse, but too often they aren't being enforced—including federal statutes such as the Horse Protection Act,” said Allondra Stevens, founder of Horses For Life Foundation. “Establishing a dedicated Animal Cruelty Crimes Division within the Department of Justice is an essential step towards fully investigating and prosecuting individuals that prey on animals. We fully support the Animal Cruelty Enforcement (ACE) Act and hope to see its swift passage into law this Congressional session.”

“Proper enforcement of animal cruelty laws will protect animal welfare and help keep our communities safe from the violence so often linked to these crimes,” said Congressman Joe Neguse (D-CO-02). “The Animal Cruelty Enforcement Act, which I am proud to have introduced with my bipartisan co-leads, seeks to bolster the prosecution of these crimes by providing the necessary resources and staffing for efficient enforcement.”

“As a life-long pet owner and a member of the Congressional Horse Caucus, I am proud to introduce the Animal Cruelty Enforcement Act alongside Congressman Neguse, to ensure that there is proper enforcement for crimes against animals,” said Congressman Dave Joyce (R-OH-14). “As a former prosecutor, I know we can do more to crack down on criminals who abuse animals, and as a Member of Congress, I feel obligated to provide the tools necessary to do just that. The ACE Act will improve the federal government's ability to investigate and prosecute animal cruelty crimes by creating a dedicated Animal Cruelty Crimes section within the Department of Justice, so that perpetrators of these heinous crimes will be held accountable in a timely, efficient manner.”

“Enforcement of laws already on the books, including those banning dog fighting and other cruel practices, is critical to ending these barbaric practices, which is what this measure aims to do,” said Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN-09), a member of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus. “I'm proud to support the Animal Cruelty Enforcement Act because inflicting harm on defenseless animals has no place in a civilized society.”

“Despite the unique role that horses occupy in our nation's history, and culture, they are still subjected to terrible mistreatment and deliberate cruelty,” said Scott Beckstead, director of campaigns at the Center for a Humane Economy, and a lifelong horseman. “The Animal Cruelty Enforcement Act will fortify existing protections and elevate the mission of the Department of Justice in protecting American horses and all animals from the most cruel and depraved elements in our society.”

A dedicated Animal Cruelty Crimes section at DOJ would allow for robust and effective enforcement of these crimes by designating personnel focused on these issues. DOJ already has dedicated sections on other important societal concerns, such as environmental protection, wildlife, and organized crime. Identical bipartisan, bicameral, companion legislation was introduced in 2020 by U.S. Sens. Mike Braun, R-Ind., John Kennedy, R-La., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and will be reintroduced in the coming months.