ERIE, Colo. (KDVR) – Out at Front Range Show Stables in Erie, owner Claire Gordon-Neff has now installed cameras everywhere after a break-in back at the end of December.
“There were tire tracks in the snow on the south side of the property and [all] of the tack in the south side tack room had been taken,” Gordon-Neff said.
She said the thieves left with at least $50,000 worth of tack and equipment. She said there were seven saddles, 12 bridles and bits, a ton of trainer tack, saddle pads and other equipment as well.
“Our CWD saddles cost between $5,000 to $9,000 apiece. They are there just for these bodies and horses,” Gordon-Neff said.
She said the thieves entered her barn during the night between Dec. 21 and 22. They found tire tracks and footprints in and around the barn. She said the thieves also checked out some of her client’s trailers before leaving.
“It was negative 15 degrees that night and all the horses were tucked in and cozy in the barn,” Gordon-Neff said, “to know that someone was in our barn with our horses that are more precious than any equipment could be.”
Now nearly two months later, she received a call from a man who said he found some of the stolen saddles. She said he found her Facebook post about the original theft that went viral online throughout the horse community.
“He said his car was stolen at the end of January, then appeared in Denver completely gutted with four of our saddles in the back,” Gordon-Neff said.
She said on the four saddles, that all serial numbers and the kid’s nameplates were on the back. She said the man then Googled the names on the saddles, which led to her posting about the find on Facebook.
“He came out he dusted for prints, there was a [cigarette] butt and an energy drink that fell out of their truck,” Gordon-Neff said.
Thankfully, she said the horses weren’t harmed.
“To know that someone was in our barn with our horses that are more precious than any equipment could be,” Gordon-Neff said.
She did file a report with Weld County Sheriff’s Office but she said there haven’t been any updates to the case so far. FOX31 reached out to WCSO and had not heard back as of Tuesday afternoon.
“The Colorado hunter-jumper community is a special community from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs,” Gordon-Neff said.
She said the worry now, after talking to others in the community, is that stables are becoming targets of thieves. She said cars at other stables are being broken into and thieves are taking purses and other items.
“My friend up north just had a horse trailer stolen in the middle of the day,” Gordon-Neff said.
In addition to the saddles and bridles, the following was also stolen:
- 6 sheepskin half pads
- 8 fleece girths
- 2 equifit girths
- Equiband conditioning system
- 2 Fleece quarter sheets
- 1 Arimas halter
