May 2023 Equine Times

May 2023

Serving the Michigan, Indiana and Ohio tri-state horse community

Sara DeHaan Photography

Make a positive impact in the life of a boy from Gaylord fighting a rare form of cancer Vicki Reinhardt The 61st Pony Express Ride is being co-hosted this year by the Osceola County Sheriff ’s Posse and the Otsego County Mounted Division and being sponsored by the Michigan Sheriff ’s Mounted Association. It is being held at the Osceola Posse Grounds at 21940 6 Mile Road in Reed City, Michigan 49677.

The Pony Express Ride has been held annually since 1962. Since it began, hundreds of officers have carried thousands of Pony Express Letters along designated routes across Michigan just as years ago brave riders carried the mail across the west. This event is held on the second Saturday in June, proclaimed by the governor as Pony Express Day. Mounted Police Officers are getting ready to saddle up and head over to Reed City for this Page 2

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May 2023

year’s Pony Express Ride. The Michigan Sheriff ’s Mounted Association sponsors this annual event. Each year it is hosted by a Michigan county and officers from across the state bring their horses to participate. The State Association is currently made up of 11 Michigan counties and approximately 175 members. It is open to all Michigan counties to join.

Each year the State Association chooses a recipient to raise money for, usually to help with medical expenses. This year’s recipient is a 14-year-old boy from Gaylord. He is fighting a rare form of cancer.

We raise money by selling Pony Express letters. We have special commemorative stationery and envelopes for people to write their own letters to friends, family or anyone then give the letters back to us with a small dona-

tion. The letters then become part of the annual event. They are then carried by a horse and rider along a route and handed off to another horse and rider until they reach the end of the route. After the mail carry, the letters are hand cancelled with a commemorative stamp. Afterwards they continue on their way through the U.S. Postal Service.

We raise money throughout the weekend with silent auctions and bag raffles with items donated by local merchants as well as private citizens. Craft items, merchandise, gift cards, services and more items are available. All donations are welcome. 100% of the money raised goes to this year’s recipient.

The mail carry will be held on June 10 starting at 7 a.m. following routes across Osceola County. At 1 p.m. there will be an all horse parade through the town of Reed City. The recipient and his family will also be included in the parade riding in a horse drawn vehicle. It is impressive to see so many horses and officers in uniforms and parade gear riding through town!

Following the parade there will be a speed

horseshow at the posse grounds where riders compete in friendly competition against other officers and counties.

Everyone is welcome to come watch the parade and horseshow. Come meet the police officers and see all their horses. There is no charge and we hope you’ll come and see us!

Pony Express letters can be written until the first week of June. If you would like to send a letter, please contact Vicki Reinhardt at 231-833-0123 or Nadia Kidder at 989-8580935. We can get it to you or put you in touch with someone closer to you. They can also be written at the Osceola Posse grounds on June 7, 8 and 9. Just ask anybody camped there. If you would like to donate something you made or merchandise for our auctions to help with medical expenses, please give us a call and we will arrange a pickup.

Plan to come and spend the day with us, meet the officers and their horses, send a letter

by Pony Express, and cheer for your favorite horse in the horseshow.

Hope to see you there!

Sara DeHaan Photography

May 2023

Equine Times

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CLUB NEWS

Michigan Fox Association Michigan Fox Trotter Trotter Association Michigan Foxtrotting Horse Association

$25 each and those underfor 18the pay $10 to participate. Young included a competition people are welcome to try their horsemanship skills as well most ambitious member who PROTECT YOUR LARGE BALE HAY INVE$TMENT! and will leave with a ribbon and prize. demonstrates their horsemanship Top scoring riders over 18 will get a payback amount. The obstacles will make you skills in a wide variety of categories. and your equine problem solve which is good practice for later Quarterly and year-end awards will be on the trail. This will be a fun way to spend a day. given.

On Go Juneto24www.michiganfoxtrotters.com we have a members only driving clinic with to read rules and print the forms to Farm join ininonIonia, clinicianthe Judi Campbell at off Morning View the friendly competition and fun.

Michigan followed by the natural trail and obstacle clinic the slowlySaddle becoming to next More day atFox theTrotters Holland are Western Club available in Holland, purchase they are selling fast. already.

There is Clinician a good video on Michigan.but This clinic has filled Susan the correct Trot gait on our Face Book site to Williams willFox instruct us onposted the various trail obstacles there. refer whenbeen youthere are considering an MFT to buy. sure I havetonever but have heard so many goodBe things about thisa facility.

I am looking forward going. We willyou be to bring knowledgeable person with to you,too, when serving lunch thesearch. participants and auditors.

Auditors(rivare narrow down to your Breeders, Chuck Fanslow encouraged to come Go to hollandwestern.com to erflatranch.com) andwatch.

Gale Gunders (989-534-1207), have inquire about the auditor fee. You will learnalso important inforwell-gaited young stock available.

They have quality mationtofor when arehave faceda with obstacles on the studs breed to you if you maresimilar you want bred. Chuck trail in the future. has a Buckskin stallion and a palomino stallion(both sons We are hosting the second annual Great Lakes National of Cotton Eyed Joe). Gale has a spotted stallion who will Trail Ride (NTR) from July 7 through July 9 at the Waterloo throw color to your foal. Both are located in Gladwin,MI. Recreation Area in Chelsea, Michigan. It will start out at the x 78” 76” Contact them if you wantDimensions: to have your72” mare bred.x There

Wethe haveexpectation resources and of people available for you to learn is nothing like a well-bred foal! from and breeders to refer you to if you to Don't forget to transfer your newly-bought want horse's to their stories. buy a young one to train or if you want to further year weyour hadname a gentleman from Nebraska registrationLast papers into with the MFTHBA,too. the training with your present horse. participate.

He was quite interesting to talk We are growing!

New member welcomes gomembers out to The MFTHBA needs registered with.

Naomi Haas, equineto dentist Kris Modreske and Harry fill their committees for 2021. I just agreed brings the member Struble all of MI. Naomi rides sorrel sabino gelding to help September out on athe Trail Committee again. only trail ride at the Hungerford (Dexter) and a blackSurely mareyou (Hank's Serenity Liberty Bell can,too!

Various committees need Recreation It their will take members(younger ones Area. too) for input B). Kris rides a black and white gelding (Radar's Spotted place onaffiliate September and advice togo increase numbers,think Prior). And congratulations out to Harry Struble 29, on September 30 andimprove October 1 of ways to make the shows better,to and his purchase of Joe's Golden Chip, a handsome buckskin there.

We will beideas rustic okay National Trail Ride applications,give on gelding, from Chuck Fanslow. All these memThe participants clinics (let's get more closer camping. to our state),getting more verbers are riding Fox Trotters!!! satility riders interested,give ideas on training picking judges, plus inquality our and versatility program New members always welmore. Many positions can be supported remotely.

Also, this is a hard great have beenare working www.michiganfoxway to meet those from other come! areas earning ofGo theto USA who raise,train and points with their trotters.com print off have the ride MFTs. I have made new friends this way whoto would not horses both inI the saddle and otherwise. Contact the MO Fox Trotting Breeding Association membership form.

We quarmeet on theHorse ground.

The first via www.mfthba.com to become ter a member and forsomore virtually all information members showed that Katie Collier is on helping out. to meet without leading are the able not under saddle diviAlso, PLEASE send in sion your with MFTA Nasari dues andfollowed your MFTHBA dues Carrie having to drive by long disasap!

Carpenter with River, Georgi Carlton with tances.

Wishing everyone a blessed and safe Christmas!

Romeo and Marilyn Mannino with Committee Kate. The Our Event Respectfully submitted, under saddle division leader is is busy planning next Marilynthe Mannino Amanda Kellogg with Liberty followed by be Carrie with clinic.

It will a Gaited Moo, Carrie with Western Dressage Clinic at Carma, Ron Montgomery with Sloopy, Georgi withdetails Joey, the end of May. More Nancy Green-Duffy with Chinook and Marilyn Mannino with will be available Sam. Carrie leads the ultimate horseman division followed by next month. The clinician is Marilyn then Georgi. top-notch!

If you have recently acquired a new to you Missouri Fox SLIDING SWINGING DOORS A little history our breed: The presTrotter, don't forget toOR send in theonpaperwork to the Missouri ent-day Missouri Fox Trotter evolved from Morgans in Fox Trotter Horse Breed Association (mfthba.com) to get him New England being crossed with Arabians, Plantation or her transferred into your name. I recently did this even Horses,myAmerican Saddlebreds, TWHs transferred and pacing though new mare hadn't had her paperwork in Standardbreds. mix of horses 17 years yet she The had genetic been owned by square-trotting more than one family and pacing horses created the comfortable gait! before me. She has such interesting bloodlinesfox andtrot it would have beenFox a shame to lose trackhave of them.

Missouri Trotting horses been used by farmers in MFHAand breeder, Chuck Fanslow of Gladwin, Missouri surrounding states to ride longMichigan distanceshas to acheck pair of quality well and gaited stallions to breed their fencing work cows,available pull buggies, byyour US mare Contact him to set a date for yourand mare! up Forestto.Service workers, by up mounted police nowLook people the River Ranch online to Europe see pictures of hisfor gorgeous across theFlat United States and use them recrestuds Cotton trail Eyed Joe bloodlines. ation with (showing, riding, Dressage,reining, 4H and We have lots planned for this year. If you would like to Equestrian Team, Hippotherapy,etc.). They are truly join our association to help promote this wonderful breed and versatile and also can be found in all colors and sizes! Try qualify for clinic discounts, go to michiganfoxtrottinghorse. one out and find out why everyone loves them so!

For the Finest STALLS Money Can Buy From One Piece To An Entire Stall Or An Exhibition Stall.

Design Stalls that work for you and your Horses.... With Component Pieces or com to print off the membership form and read all about us. the Entire Stall!

• Removable Grills your We encourage youth as well as adults to join. Encourage 0000501405

Hello December! Time is sure flying!!

Marilyn Mannino At our November meeting we Mannino elected some Marilyn new officers for 2021. Congratulations go out Hello April! Spring is upon us! People are out Fox to Bob Howell elected as the new MFTA PresWhew!and All enjoying of that rain snow last month Trotting theand weather.

Many are accumulatident, Kathy Kruch is now VP, Marilyn is still sure switched quickly to warmer weather, ing points in the Versatility Challenges that we are offerSecretary/Treasurer, Char Ostrom is the new spring flowers and mosquitoes!

Get ing.

2-year Director and Miranda Mannino is now your horses vaccinated soon for as all three Versatility Registration is stillas open the 1-year Director. possible against eastern equine We are accepting renewals Not Under Saddle Challenges (Under membership Saddle Challenge, encephalitis, equine and new memberships for 2021 now. Youth Challenge). are Challenge and western Ultimate Horseman This proencephalitis Niletovirus encouraged toand joinWest too! www.michiganfoxgram is designed to Go show how versatile the Missouri Fox as well as alltoofprint theoff other usualYou will learn alot trotters.com the form.

Trotter is. Registered and grade MFTs are allowed. transmissible diseases. from our members about theThis history of Fox Trotters,their All regular through useshandicapped and availability and year be able network with those of us who will probably be a and bad fortoyouth adults are welcome.

Every imaginable camp,train and show them. Our association is blessed to have skilled bugs. activity category included trainers,breeders and aforward farrieristo to learn from. We love promoting this We areand looking from in hand work Dressage, breed as have great personalities,are so versatile and come in seeing asthey many of youto as possimanyat sizes andMay different colors.toA benefit to joining is that we short distance trail riding ble the 27 coat Michigan can offer clinicscompetitions at a reduced price to our members. Due to Covid we endurance and Foxtrotting Horse Association are meeting remotely each month.

Michigan everything in-between (MFHA) judged trail ride (cow to be held is a big state and this is a good way to easily see and talk with at the driving, day use extreme equestriantrail, areaeach of other the within and outside of work, MI. Come join the fun!

Ionia and Recreation All breeds are wel4H openArea. showing, Sign up now for the popular Versatility Challenge for 2021. Print come.

Test your horse and yourself on a number of parades, reining, form trailfrom mainteoff the enrollment our website. There are may areas in practical obstacles and possibly prize.

The adult fee is nance and also wininathe which you can more!). accumulateWe points-even non-rideable months.

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Horsemen's Camp. Make your reservations now via dnrreser230 Camp. lbs. vations.com and specify the Waterloo Weight: Horseman's Cabins are available to rent there as well. All Fox Trotter friends to join too.

• Panels “Haywho Hutswant save to and preserve We are the Michigan affiliate theSusan Missouri Fox Trotter riders earn an NTR point for attending this ride • of Lazy Feeders the hay. They keep the hay will need to sign in and all riders need to pay the $10 fee. Horse Breed Association (mfthba.com) based in Ava, Missouri.

• Water Bucket Doors weather protected and are is to promote Missouri Fox Trotters and to Georgi Amanda horseCarlton friendly.”and -CHRIS COX Kellogg will lead the ride out on Our mission E N T E R P R I S E S • Multiple DoorasOptions of them well as to Saturday morning from the campground. Bring a dish to encourage the breeding and training share for the potluck Saturday night and your own table ser- help their owners learn to enjoy their horses more through Weldy Enterprises 911 Waterford St.clinics, Wakarusa, INdiscussions.

46573 Check out our educational trail rides and vice. The MFHA will provide the meat. We•will eat E. in the Facebook page too. pavilion. It will be574-862-4491 a fun way to meet other people and listen • 800-628-4728 • FAX 574-862-2122 • email: info@weldyenterprises.com

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May 2023 April 2021

December 2020

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Kingsbarns with Flavien Prat aboard pulls away to win the 110th running of the Louisiana Derby in New Orleans. Jamie Newell

Kingsbarns leads wire to wire to win $1 million Louisiana Derby AP Kingsbarns led wire to wire to win the $1 million Louisiana Derby by four lengths and earned 100 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby.

Ridden by Flavien Prat and trained

by Todd Pletcher, Kingsbarns ran 1 3/16 miles in 1:57.33 after breaking to the front and then settling into a relatively slow

pace on a warm, dry day. The rest of the field settled behind, setting up a sprint to the finish around the final turn, during which Kingsbarns pulled away comfortably to remain unbeaten in three races.

“The horse jumped pretty well out of the gate and was able to get himself into the lead right away," Prat said. "From that point, we were able to get a pretty soft pace and he was really comfortable,

in a good rhythm, breathing well.

"He sprinted home really well,” Prat added.

A 9-2 second favorite in the field of 12, Kingsbarns paid $11 to win.

The result virtually assures the 3-yearold colt a spot in the 20-horse field for the Kentucky Derby on May 6.

Kingsbarns made it five career Louisiana Derby wins for Pletcher, who already has the early Kentucky Derby favorite in Forte, winner of the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream. Forte is raced again in the Florida Derby.

Disarm, which went off at 7-1, charged through the field late to finish nees are: Ireland-bred Brave Emperor, El second and Jace’s Road, at 6-1 odds, was Camino Real Derby winner Chase the another two lengths back in third after Chaos, Coffeewithchris, Empirestrikesfast, Eye Witness, Henry Q, Interlock Empire, challenging for the lead from the first turn King Russell, Kolomio, Mr. Peeks, Nautical until the beginning of the homestretch.

Disarm earned 40 points for the Star and Ninetyprcentmaddie.

Kentucky Derby, likely enough to make Any horse not nominated during the the field.

Jace’s Road earned 30 points early or late phases can become eligible through a supplemental fee due at the time and also could race at Churchill Downs.

Instant Coffee, the 3-2 favorite at post of entry for each Triple Crown race. The Kentucky Derby fee is $200,000, the time and winner of the Lecomte Stakes at Preakness is $150,000 and the Belmont the Fair Grounds in January, finished sixth after falling back to 10th early. costs $50,000.

May 2023 Equine Times Page 5

13 3-year-olds are late nominees to Triple Crown races AP

Wild On Ice, winner of the Sunland Park Derby, is among 13 3-year-old colts that were made eligible to compete in this year’s Triple Crown series with a late payment of $6,000.

There are now eligible to compete in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont.

The Triple Crown opens May 6 with the Derby.

Wild On Ice won the Sunland Park Derby at 35-1 odds. The other late nomi-

Horse racing's antidoping rules to start in mid-May Beth Harris Horse racing’s new antidoping program won’t get underway until after the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in mid-May, according to an order issued Thursday by the Federal Trade Commission.

The FTC, which oversees the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, pushed back the new Anti-Doping and Medication Control program by three weeks until May 22. HISA had planned to relaunch the program on May 1, the start of Kentucky Derby week, after a judge's ruling in early April delayed the start until then.

“I share the concerns that the FTC articulated in their order,” Lisa Lazarus, CEO of HISA, told The Associated Press by phone.

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If the program had started on May 1, pre-race drug testing for the Kentucky Derby would have been conducted under Kentucky Horse Racing Commission rules and state laboratory standards, while postrace testing would have been done under HISA's new rules.

“To break it up like that is very unfair to horsemen, especially considering it's the most high-profile race of the year,” Lazarus told the AP. “It’s more important that the critical thinking be put into the right time to bring it back.”

The Derby will be run May 6 in Louisville.

The Preakness is May 20 in Baltimore.

HISA first began the ADMC program, which covers rules for drug testing, drug sampling, out-of-competition testing, rul-

ings and penalties, on March 27.

“The very first week of March 27 was very successful and went smoothly,” Lazarus said.

But a few days later a judge ruled that the program could not be implemented without a 30-day waiting period in a decision that was a victory for the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, which has pushed back against HISA. The HBPA and other groups have filed multiple lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of HISA. The FTC ruling said the May 22 restart would “avoid the chaos and confusion that could occur if the anti-doping rule became effective on May 1, during the lead-up to the Triple Crown races scheduled during May.” It also said the delay would “ensure that the horseracing industry has sufficient time to

prepare for the anti-doping rule to be effective.”

Lazarus said, “I would have felt a little uncomfortable with the May 1 start with two different rules in place.”

HISA had sought the quick rollout, which would have had the antidoping rules in place for five weeks before the Kentucky Derby.

The delay means the state racing commissions will remain in charge of their drug testing programs through May 21.

As a result, if a horse tests positive in the Derby or the Preakness, racing officials in Kentucky and Maryland will hear the case, decide on punishment and handle any appeals under their existing rules.

The Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown, will be run June 10 in New York under HISA's rules.

May 2023

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Midnight heist of rare horse

Ben Hur de Bernaville, a rare French Boulonnais Draft stallion, is practicing on an obstacle course.

Ben was at the center of a dispute between Lynn Gennrich, who bought the stallion in 2015 and Olissio Zoppe, founder of Cirque Ma'Ceo, who took the horse in September 2018 to include in his circus. Lynn Gennrich

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“Hay Huts save and preserve the hay. They keep the hay weather protected and are horse friendly.” -CHRIS COX

Page 8

Design Stalls that work for you and your Horses.... With Component Pieces or the Entire Stall!

• Removable Grills

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Weldy Enterprises • 911 E. Waterford St. Wakarusa, IN 46573 574-862-4491 • 800-628-4728 • FAX 574-862-2122 • email: info@weldyenterprises.com Equine Times

May 2023

0000501405

SLIDING OR SWINGING DOORS

Gabriela Szymanowska Under the guise of night, 25-year-old Ian Davis unhooked the latch of a fenced property, slipped a harness over a ghostly white mane and led a 1,600-pound horse onto the roadway, where Davis's sister was waiting.

Gravel and dirt crunched under Ben Hur de Bernaville’s hooves, his pace picking up once he saw the three-horse trailer ahead. With ease, the horse sidled inside, the door shutting behind him.

Ian Davis and his younger sister, Brianna, hopped into the cab of the Ford truck next to their 60-year-old mother, Lynn Gennrich, heading towards Interstate 75 and back home to Minnesota.

A few minutes later, circus owner Olissio Zoppe peered out the window of his home as a gnawing feeling bothered him and looked towards the direction of the paddock where Ben was supposed to be safely tucked away.

Panic struck when he couldn’t see the French Boulonnais draft horse, one of just 550 in the world. Through his neighbor’s trees, Zoppe saw the bright beams of a vehicle’s headlights disappear down the road. He reached for his phone and dialed 911.

Almost three years after that call, Gennrich and Zoppe are still arguing over who owned the horse. Zoppe says the horse was euthanized more than a year ago. Gennrich believes he still might be alive. Since that night in February 2020 — when Gennrich was stopped by deputies before reaching Interstate 75, and arrested months later for grand theft — a felony case ensued before it was dropped.

Frustrations remain high for those involved.

At the heart of the case is the question of who really owned Ben Hur de Bernaville and how could the situation have been prevented.

What led up to the night in question In 2015, Gennrich found herself in northern France looking for a breeder who would sell her a Boulonnais horse which she’d dreamed of owning for 25 years.

After days of searching, Gennrich found a breeder who sold her Ben Hur de Bernaville, affectionately nicknamed Ben. In July 2015, Ben flew to the U.S. and was quarantined in Chicago before arriving at his new home in Wisconsin. In total, Gennrich says she spent some $6,000 purchasing Ben and more than $25,000 getting the horse stateside, according to a Mersant International price list.

Lynn Gennrich leads Ben Hur de Bernaville, a Boulonnais horse, down to an obstacle course at a boarding farm in 2015. Ben was one of 550 Boulonnais horses in the world and was one of only two stallions in the United States. Lynn Gennrich May 2023

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Ben Hur de Bernaville performs in a Cirque Ma'Ceo show on January 17, 2020, in Sarasota. Less than a month later, Lynn Gennrich, who has maintained she's always been Ben's owner and agreed for Cirque Ma'Ceos's founder Olissio Zoppe to take Ben to include in his show, came down to Sarasota to take back Ben in the middle of the night. Daniel Wagner

Over the next three years, a bond of love and trust formed between the wily, young stallion and the long-time horse owner and trainer. Ben became a part of Gennrich’s family.

“Ben was the light for her,” Brianna Davis said.

As he was such a rare breed, Gennrich started a Facebook page to advertise when and where people could come to see the stallion at fairs, shows and expos where Gennrich said he won various ribbons, even taking home a Reserved Champion Halter Horse award in his first show.

On the days between, Gennrich spent time training Ben, or washing away dirt and mud from the horse’s hide and detangling his voluminous mane — Gennrich’s favorite pastime.

In the summer of 2018, Gennrich met Zoppe for the first time.

Zoppe, 44, a resident of Manatee County, Florida, and owner of the traveling equestrian-themed circus Cirque Ma'Ceo, first learned of Ben after stopping by the April 2018 Minnesota Horse Expo where Ben was showcased, he said. He picked up Gennrich's contact information and later Page 10

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May 2023

messaged her about coming to see her horses, specifically Ben. In early September, Zoppe stopped by Gennrich’s farm.

The scene he painted for investigators years later was that the property looked “like buffalo had gone through it.

Fences were broken, horses were up to their knees in mud,” one report states, while another states the horses were “very low weight, no water present, no hay present, tied up wrong, face rubbed raw, and in terrible condition.”

In those Minnesota and Florida reports, Zoppe told investigators Gennrich begged him to take Ben off her hands. He said she asked for $50,000, then continued to decrease the price before stating, “Come and get him, or I’m gonna put him in the ground,” according to a Minnesota incident report.

Zoppe believed Gennrich would euthanize the horse and since he wanted to include Ben in Cirque Ma'Ceo, he agreed to pay $1,000 which he sent through a Walmart wire transfer about 10 days after visiting Gennrich.

Zoppe, while speaking over the phone with a Sarasota Herald-Tribune reporter, said the horse looked emaciated

Two young girls walk up to stand next to Ben Hur de Bernaville for a photograph prior to their own horse riding lessons at the farm where Ben was being boarded in the fall of 2015. Lynn Gennrich

and that he was underweight by about 500 or so pounds.

He also said the horse was aggressive, so much so that Gennrich had been barred from bringing him back to the Minnesota Horse Expo.

Minnesota Horse Expo President and Security Chairperson Darrell Mead said Ben had been unruly during the 2018 expo. At the time, Mead had been the barn manager and told Gennrich she couldn't come back with Ben. Mead described Ben as an extremely powerful animal, adding that for such a horse to be as untrained and hard to handle as Ben, it “was extremely dangerous to have him around.”

Gennrich denied both claims. She said she came to an agreement with Zoppe to have him take Ben so people could see him in the show and learn about the breed. She said she couldn’t travel as extensively as the circus, thus bringing more attention to Ben. In two conflicting “agreements” written on what appears to be the back of the money receipt, Gennrich agreed to give Zoppe either 25% of the horse with the understanding he would take Ben for the rest of his life, or that she would release Ben to Zoppe’s care and he would have to handle all costs for taking care of Ben, including for feed and vetting.

Gennrich has insisted she gave 25% of ownership to Zoppe, maintaining 75% ownership for herself. In the 2022

and 2023 Directory of Boulonnais Stallions, the annual French registry by the Regional Center for Genetic Resources Hauts-de-France, Gennrich remains the only owner listed for Ben Hur de Bernaville.

Gennrich said the money Zoppe sent her was for a Coggins Test, a blood test to check for transmittable diseases, and a health certificate Ben needed so Zoppe could take him across state lines. In photos attached to the Coggins Test of Ben taken on September 6, 2018, the horse appears to be rather large and in good shape.

She denied any alleged aggression — Gennrich and her friend Pat Colosimo sent photographs of the two training Ben alone, Ben standing next to smiling children and Ben training next to other horses. Colosimo added she trained Ben for months and not once did the stallion attempt to run her over, attack her, bite or kick her.

“I am not sure where this is coming from, but I can guarantee you that Ben has never been a danger to Lynn or anyone,” said Colosimo, who described Ben as being a “perfect gentleman."

Life in the Big Top Circus Lights panned across the circular tent and staging ring of Cirque Ma’Ceo, painting Ben’s white fur in hues of blues and greens, yellows and reds as he cantered with a performer on his back during a show. Over the next two years, May 2023

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expo after being in Zoppe’s care, he was a “totally different animal.” During his previous stint at the expo, Mead said other horses couldn’t go near Ben in his paddock, but four years later, that wasn’t the case.

Zoppe maintained a connection with Gennrich, who would text Zoppe for updates as to where Ben was, how training was going, and the progress of the programs Zoppe agreed to print about Ben and the rare breed.

Zoppe told investigators he entertained the communication with Gennrich out of kindness, not because of any contractual obligations. Once he felt Gennrich became “too pushy,” the communication between them began to break down. When Gennrich and a family friend came to Ocala in early 2020 for the Greater Ocala Dog Club show — towing her white horse trailer behind her truck for her dogs — Zoppe allowed her to visit his property and see Ben under watchful supervision.

Gennrich says she was frustrated with Ben’s overall condition, so she went to see an attorney. Days later, her children booked a flight to Tampa, Gennrich picked them up at the airport, and they found themselves parked on the road next to Zoppe’s home.

Recently won ribbons are displayed on the outside of Ben Hur de Bernaville's stall. Lynn Genn-rich came to an agreement with Olissio Zoppe to allow the Cirque Ma'Ceo founder to take her horse to include in his traveling circus so that fans of the rare Boulonnais horse could come see him in the shows. Lynn Gennrich Zoppe trained Ben to be incorporated into the circus program and featured next to his other horses.

Described on the Cirque Ma’Ceo website as hailing from 8th and 9th generations of bareback riders and equestrian performers, Zoppe said despite the horse’s alleged aggressions earlier, he never had any incidents with Ben. Mead said when he saw Ben again at the 2021 Minnesota

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May 2023

Conflicting police reports, statements and the unusual case that followed Police reports, a 911 call recording, and statements from Zoppe, Gennrich and her children paint a conflicting, and at times, murky picture of the battle over ownership of the rare and expensive horse.

By the end of the February 8, 2020, traffic stop in Manatee County, Ben was returned to Zoppe’s property and Gennrich would return home to find out months later there was a warrant out for her arrest.

Gennrich and her children claim that during the traffic stop, Gennrich proved proof of ownership to the deputies, but once Zoppe arrived at the scene and spoke to a higher-ranked deputy, they were threatened with an arrest for trespassing and would have their truck and trailer impounded if they didn’t return Ben to Zoppe.

In an initial report, a deputy wrote when Zoppe arrived at the traffic stop, he said he didn’t have any type of ownership paperwork for Ben but had taken care of him for over a year and incurred costs for his rehabilitation and training.

The deputy added Zoppe didn’t have a receipt for the

$1,000 he wired Gennrich.

Gennrich showed deputies ownership papers on her phone and numerous books listing her as Ben’s owner, the initial report states.

More than a month later, when Detective Darren George took over, he noted Zoppe “was able to provide clear and articulated details about the entire situation and history” and emailed proof of payment, text messages and before/ after photographs of Ben. George’s report doesn’t include any documentation from Gennrich, including the proof of ownership she showed the deputy at the scene. It’s noted that he called the listed number for Gennrich, which eventually went to a full mailbox, prompting him to request local law enforcement to respond to her last known address, only to find Gennrich had moved.

Gennrich’s attorney, Andrew Mallory, believes the Manatee Sheriff ’s Office didn’t do enough to get her side of the story.

"We believe all the deputies involved investigated this case thoroughly and came to the correct conclusion," Manatee County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Randy Warren said in response.

A year later when Gennrich filed a theft report about Ben with the Mille Lacs Sheriff's Office in Minnesota and an investigator reached out to Zoppe, the circus owner told the investigator Ben was advertised in the local paper and that authorities knew Ben belonged to him.

Gennrich was charged with third-degree grand theft, and a warrant was issued for her arrest. She returned to the area to go through the arrest process, before making bail and proceeded to go through three different attorneys in the case.

Her children are confused why only their mother was charged, especially since Ian Davis said he’d been the only one to step foot on the property that night to take Ben. The case dragged on for over a year.

Mallory said that just days after he turned in a subpoena in March 2022 to have Zoppe come in for a deposition, Zoppe went to the prosecutor to urge him to drop the case.

Photos of Ben Hur de Bernaville are shown on a Coggins Test, a blood test to check for transmittable diseases in horses, which Lynn Gennrich had to get in order for the horse to cross state lines with Olissio Zoppe, founder of Cirque Ma'Ceo. The report is dated September 6, 2018. Lynn Gennrich

Olissio Zoppe, founder and owner of Cirque Ma'Ceo, during a performance in Sarasota in 2019. Zoppe claims that he had to euthanize Ben Hur de Bernaville, a rare Boulonnais horse, after the horse showed symptoms of severe colic and a poor outcome was decided if surgery was pursued. Herald Tribune Archive

Questions arise about what happened to Ben Hur de Bernaville Gennrich and Zoppe’s contentious relationship indicates they don’t agree on almost anything, including whether Ben is dead or if he might be alive and hidden away.

When Mallory learned Zoppe said Ben had been euthanized and wanted to drop the case, he refused to tell Gennrich without written proof. He knew if it was true, it would devastate his client.

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A line waits outside the tent of Cirque Ma'Ceo in England Brothers Park in Pinellas Park before the show starts on Friday, February 24, 2023. Cirque Ma'Ceo is an equestrian-themed Cirque du Soleil style circus that travels across the United States. Mike Lang

Yet, Mallory felt that something was off with the timing of Zoppe coming forward when he did.

According to a vet report from the case, Ben appeared to be exhibiting symptoms of colic in November 2021. Colic is severe abdominal pain in a horse’s gastrointestinal tract or other abdominal organs, said Whitney VanWinkle, a veterinarian with Gulf Coast Equine Veterinary Services.

In Ben’s case, based on evaluation and severe pain level, it was presumed Ben had a “strangulating small intestinal lesion” and surgery was recommended, but with a poor prognosis, the report stated. Instead, humane euthanasia was pursued, according to the report.

Gennrich, those close to her, and Mallory suspect Ben may still be alive, as it felt suspicious to them that Zoppe waited four months to tell anyone. Gennrich added she had people who knew of Ben reach out to her after the 2022 Minnesota Horse Expo claiming they’d seen Ben at the show and heard the announcer say his name, although these reports could not be independently verified.

Gennrich said she continued to find mentions of Ben in online advertisements in various publications and on the Cirque Ma'Ceo Facebook page, as well as professional photographs of Ben, as if he was still in the show months after the reported euthanization.

In additional incident report documents, a log was sent to investigators from the vet which shows two entries listing Ben Hur de Bernaville as receiving two doses of a euthanasia solution. The specifics of the type of solution were not Page 14

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included.

Zoppe questioned why he should have had to inform Gennrich about Ben’s death, since up to that point in the eyes of the law and his own, Ben had been his horse.

“It’s a very sore subject for me,” Zoppe said. “He was very dear to me. I loved him, and he was a very special horse.”

He said he didn’t see a point in continuing to fight since Ben was gone, so he let Gennrich off the hook.

In an MSCO action memo, the prosecutor stated, “the victim requested that the state dismiss the case in order for the deposition to be canceled.” Since the case was in part for a jury to decide who owned Ben, and Zoppe no longer wished to have that question answered, the state dropped the case on March 24, 2022.

"He was very dear to me. I loved him and he was a very special horse." Olissio Zoppe, owner of Cirque Ma'Ceo. Gennrich reached out to the Manatee County Sheriff ’s Office again in November 2022, prompting a review by a lieutenant. Part of the report found that while there are third-party advertisements that include Ben for shows after his death, those didn’t prove he was still alive.

Up until February 13, 2023, over a year after Ben was allegedly euthanized, a Herald-Tribune reporter found Ben was still advertised on the front page of the Cirque Ma’Ceo website with a small blurb about the rare horse breed directly under the tickets section.

Zoppe said it was difficult for him to change the home-

page advertising Ben. Equestrian law attorneys weigh in Historically, Florida has been home to large horse populations with states like Kentucky and California, and there have been enough disputes that the legislature passed a “Bill of Sale” rule to help avoid unwarranted confusion.

John Londot, an attorney with Greenberg Traurig, P.A., said the rule states during a sale or purchase of a horse, there must be certain language included in the written bill of sale. This includes the purchaser, owner or duly authorized agent's name and signature, information about the horse and two statements confirming the owner is legally conveying the title to someone else, and the purchaser acknowledges that any warranties or representations should be stated in writing.

While Florida’s bill of sale does not apply to the dispute between Gennrich and Zoppe, as the exchange happened in Minnesota, it was designed to prevent such misunderstandings. Londot urged that no matter where a sale or purchase of a horse might take place, it’s beneficial to write out the terms.

Londot said that simply because Zoppe was taking care of Ben for two years, that in itself would not constitute ownership. He added the cost of care, the $1,000 wire transfer, and the “agreements” would all be considered evidence for a jury to decide ownership in a civil trial.

Avery Chapman, of Chapman Law Group PLC and Equine Law Group PLC, said in this case it’s clear that Zoppe owned Ben and Gennrich was wrong for taking the horse.

There was a sale between Gennrich and Zoppe that didn’t include reservations of rights, Chapman said. He added there was specificity as to what was sold, a $1,000 transfer, a receipt of that transfer which was provided to law enforcement, and Gennrich gave Zoppe the horse, establishing the documented transaction between the two.

Chapman said the biggest problem, and what many people struggle with when selling horses, is that the transactions are poorly documented. In some cases, that leaves room for people to attempt to change their minds or their stories.

The best route Gennrich could have taken was going to see an equine law attorney first, not taking the horse in the middle of the night, Chapman said.

The aftermath and fallout In a victim impact statement to police, Zoppe said he now lives in fear of his horses being stolen and developed a loss of sleep, fear and paranoia.

“She should be happy I dropped the charges,” Zoppe said, adding that he should have pursued the charges despite Ben’s death.

Gennrich’s children and close friends say the experience has deeply affected her — the same joy and passion she

once had for her horses have fizzled.

“It broke her, it really did,” Brianna Davis said.

“There’s no other way to put it. I’ve seen the light and the passion for the horses go out for her because of what he did to her.”

She added the experience has traumatized all of them, especially having to put her mother on a plane to go turn herself into police custody.

Gennrich said she had an attorney lined up to pursue a civil case in 2020, but then the pandemic hit, and the courts closed. Since then, she doesn't have the means to pursue a case now despite how deeply she says the situation has affected her.

“I don’t trust anyone anymore,” Gennrich said.

Lynn Gennrich walks with Ben Hur de Bernaville down a path on a farm in 2015 where Ben was boarded. Gennrich bought Ben from a breeder in northern France in the summer before flying him to the United States in July 2015. Lynn Gennrich May 2023

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