25 January 2011
Stolen Horse International, Inc.
PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, contact: Debi Metcalfe
PO Box 1341, Shelby, NC 28151
704-484-2165
Email: idahonc@aol.com, stolenhorse@netposse.com, www.netposse.com
November 13, 2006 – Vale, North Carolina – When Heidi Courneya, owner of The Lit'l H Ranch, casually surfed on a cool November morning, she made a startling discovery. Imagine she was shocked when she found Cheyenne, the pony she had named Chief, pictured on a site for stolen and missing horses at www.netposse.com. That Web site, the Internet home for Stolen Horse International, Inc., clearly stated that Cheyenne had been stolen on September 23, 2001. Heidi couldn’t believe what she was seeing, but in her disbelief, she did the only thing she could. The bewildered lady picked up the phone and called Stolen Horse International, Inc. (NetPosse).
Stolen Horse International, aka NetPosse's, headquarters is also in North Carolina, where Cheyenne’s theft occurred. When Debi Metcalfe, founder of the nonprofit organization, received the call from Heidi, she was beyond thrilled. “There are so many horses that are still missing and stolen. Every day, I work with victims and law enforcement to help recover them, but it saddens me to know that so many haven’t been found.” Debi had even caught herself looking for Cheyenne the previous weekend while driving. “To get a call like this, and first thing in the morning … I cannot describe how I felt. This is one of those moments that reaffirmed that what I do is worthwhile.”
More than five years since the theft, Cheyenne had been found, not in a pasture miles from home or at an auction in another state but in the same city where his owners had eventually moved. This beautiful black and white paint pony was almost right under their noses, and he wasn't being hidden away. “Chief” had been purchased only two months before by Heidi for her pony-riding business. She was completely unaware there was a stolen horse in her possession.
When Debi finally reached Alesha Tilley, Cheyenne’s owner, the news was met with more disbelief then joy. Knowing that Cheyenne was safe and cared for allowed Alesha to gain closure from his theft.
While traveling to the Courneya farm Sunday afternoon, Alesha and her husband, Rick, were still afraid to let themselves believe the pony they saw in the picture Metcalfe sent them was indeed their pony. Shortly after the Tilleys and Debi and Harold Metcalfe arrived at the Vale farm, there was no doubt.
"Even though I saw the picture and felt like it was him, I had to see the two lines on each side of his neck to be sure. There was no way I could have prepared myself for how that moment felt," says Alesha of her reunion with Cheyenne in a phone conversation with Metcalfe on Monday.
"I still don't know what to say about the last few days. Yesterday, I felt "shell shocked.", I couldn't think or function - didn't know what I felt or what I would do, I think I was in emotional overload."
Cheyenne, now 20 years old, will return to the Tilley's new home in Vale on Friday. Alesha is thankful to Heidi for her honesty, which has already answered so many unanswered questions. She and Rick are determined to trace Cheyenne’s journey to find the thief so that he cannot do this to another child. This cold case is still open!
Alesha continued, saying, "There is no possible way to thank you enough for all you do to help - we would never have found Cheyenne without you. I'm sorry I couldn't answer yesterday when you asked what I was thinking; I couldn't because I was too overwhelmed to have any clear thoughts (or even clear feelings).
Whether a horse is stolen by a thief at night or spooked on a mountain trail, Debi and her supporters, dubbed by the media as “NetPosse,” work together to bring these horses safely home. Approximately 50 percent of the horses listed as stolen on NetPosse have been recovered, but some are still missing. For those victims and dedicated NetPosse members, the search continues no matter how many weeks, months, or years may pass.
11/13/2006 9:58:45 A.M. Eastern Standard Time -- Wow, I had several emails to look at this morning when I finally checked them again. I still don't know what to say about the last couple of days. Yesterday I felt "shell shocked", I couldn't think or function - didn't know what I felt or what I would do, I think I was in emotional overload. Today is better but I'm still a bit shaken by all of this (way more than I had anticipated!). There is no possible way to thank you enough for all that you do to help - we would never have found Cheyenne without you. I'm sorry I couldn't answer yesterday when you asked what I was thinking - but I couldn't because I was too overwhelmed to have any clear thoughts (or even clear feelings) in me. Thank you again and I'll keep you updated on the progress we make! -- Alesha
Angela Kirby – Stolen Horse International Public Relations
For more information on Stolen Horse International and its programs, visit the website at www.netposse.com. Stolen Horse International is a Section 501(c)(3) organization under the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to it are tax-deductible as charitable contributions.
