Saturday, I posted the following:
Windsor Fair (Maine), Aug 31: “Stanley Whittemore was the trainer of Vogue Blue Chip. While transporting [horse] to the track, an unfortunate accident occurred involving the trailer prior to entering the fairgrounds. After entering the grounds, Vogue Blue Chip was euthanized by the attending vet. Mr. Whittemore’s actions warranted an investigation. After hearing from Mr. Whittemore and receiving statements and information regarding the matter, the judges found that Mr. Whittemore was in violation of ‘any conduct that is detrimental to the sport’ and ‘any conduct while in view of the public which in any way tarnishes the image of the sport.’ These are Level 1 infractions. Therefore, Mr. Whittemore has been suspended for one year and fined $1,000.”
The next day, an eyewitness reached out. While he asked to remain anonymous, he agreed to let me share his testimony…
“I was there and saw it. We camp there just to go to the races. Horse fell through the floor of a rusty 1970s Hart-style trailer with no escape door. Trailer never should have been on the road let alone hauling horses.
“Horse was dragged the entire length of Rt. 32 at a minimum, eight miles at least. Blood trail and flesh all over the road the entire length of Rt. 32 – over the center line and in breakdown lane. Horse thrashed enough to break the small green fiberglass windows and dent the side of the trailer.
“[Trailer] was stopped at entrance gate about 1:00, and blood was POURING out of the trailer. Saw it with my own eyes. Security guards at the gate were devastated. One was visibly crying.
“Post time was 2:00, and Blue Chip was in the 4th race and wasn’t even on the grounds yet, so SW [trainer Stanley Whittemore] had to have been FLYING because he was so late arriving. This punishment is NOT enough.”
It’s almost too horrific to contemplate. We are most assuredly not done with this.
Someone with a cellphone, on the road following this idiot ( I’m using this word because o doubt the words I want to use will be allowed), and when he arrived, should’ve videotaped all this. And called every news station in the area as well as national networks, and the Canadian networks. I can’t believe no one did this!
Wanda, Our 1st farm sire came from a race trainer that went bankrupt trying to train at our old Portland Meadows after Stronach took over. Our Count arrived here as a sickly yearling only due to God`s angels holding the bumper onto his truck! That bumper was swinging back & forth with each stop & start of the truck & trailer for the entire 40 miles from the track to our farm! It was only held together by the top welds of the bumper as the bottom ones were all broken! This trainer needs to have ALL his horses taken away & serve jail time for cruelty to a horse & endangering the public. His kind are only to typical for the leaky roof circuit of racing. Agreed! This needs to be publicized far & wide.
To clarify, when I said truck stop, I was not referring to the gas stations that accommodate commercial vehicles to fuel up, etc. I was referring to the weigh stations that drivers of commercial vehicles are required to stop at when they are open. There is one on the main highway going north and south through Idaho and the weigh station is just east of Lewiston, Idaho. People who drive smaller vehicles pulling various types of trailers and also farmers and ranchers hauling livestock in two-ton trucks with wooden stock racks are also required to stop. Anybody pulling a 1970s horse trailer especially with a horse inside would have been cited for numerous violations!!!!!
You know these “people” never disappoint. Just when one thinks you’ve heard it all another incident blows out of the water. It’s hard to believe stupidity outranks any form of humane decency. The poor horse..just heartbreaking.
An old trailer like that would not pass inspection and would be ILLEGAL to haul anything, let alone a live horse!!!!!!
If he would have had to stop at a truck stop, for example, he would have been stopped from continuing to his destination. Just saying. There needs to be news reporters on the job and NOT CENSORED in reporting this heinous cruelty to a horse!!!!!!
This is one of the most ghastly ways that any living being could be forced to suffer!!!!!!
This is definitely a horrific crime that warrants much more serious punishments than what the “foxes guarding the hen house” are going to dish out to this heinous criminal!!!!!!
There was a comment on Facebook that one person thought this horse’s death was clickbait, because he hadn’t seen any evidence or reports of anything bad happening to this horse. Another person commented that she knew somebody that worked there so she knew it was NOT CLICKBAIT.
This is ANOTHER HORRIFIC case of cruelty to horses that should be publicized in several different news sources including the television news!!!!!!