19 March 2013
Sept. 11, 2007 –Kewanee,Ill.– Horse theft affects so many more people than just one owner. In the case of a red roan quarter horse mare stolen March 10, 2007, her theft impacted countless numbers of people who knew and loved her, but her disappearance and subsequent recovery had a ripple effect.
Sizzle’s theft had a broad impact not only because she was a live animal whose fate was unknown, but because this particular horse was a popular icon inBlackHawkCollege’s Equestrian Program. More than 500 students have learned so much from this beloved mare, as have 4-H families during the summer.
Surprisingly, though the college campus had security measures in place, including cameras, the thieves walked into her barn late one night and led her away. She literally vanished into the dark.
The campus police took immediate action and began tracking all possible leads. They were dedicated from the time Sizzle was discovered missing to bringing this mare back to the place that had been her home for more than a decade. Chief Rick Fiems and his staff utilized all possible resources to locate the mare, including filing a report with Stolen Horse International, Inc., a nonprofit organization known for aiding in the recovery of stolen and missing horses.
Stolen Horse International (SHI) was formed after the theft and recovery of a spotted saddle horse mare,Idaho, from her family’s home inShelby,N.C., in 1997. Through the efforts of Debi and Harold Metcalfe, and those they met along their journey, this beloved member of the family was brought home safely 51 weeks later. After her recovery, Debi became dedicated to helping other victims through horse theft education and recovery assistance.
The organization, known commonly as NetPosse, utilizes the Internet to disseminate information across the Web to thousands of volunteer members. Once a report is filed with NetPosse, A custom webpage and flyer are created for the horse before the information is distributed through the Idaho Alert, the horse community’s Amber Alert.
Through the credibility and contacts established by the organization over the last ten years, NetPosse is able to reach thousands of people that could help locate a missing or stolen horse, or provide other valuable resources. One of these contacts is Tom Seay, founder of Best of America by Horseback.
An avid horseperson, Tom, his wife Pat, and a crew travel across theU.S.throughout the year hosting trail rides filmed and aired on RFD-TV. Tom also once produced a weekly radio show broadcast on World Talk Radio, and Debi had a weekly guest spot. Shortly after NetPosse posted Sizzle’s information, Debi used her time on the radio show to profile the mare’s theft. During this airing, Tom graciously offered a $1,000 reward for Sizzle’s recovery.
On July 7, the unexpected happened. A former student that personally knew Sizzle saw her being ridden in a Fourth of July parade less than two hours from campus. Aware of the mare’s theft through NetPosse.com and local news, Desirae Haar watched the horse until she spotted the “Z” brand on Sizzle’s left side. With the horse’s identity confirmed, Desirae contacted law enforcement on the scene to question the rider. A family had purchased the mare five weeks before not knowing that she had been stolen. Unfortunately, this is the ripple effect of horse theft.
While one family mourns her loss, another can begin to heal because Sizzle was safely returned to her summer home a few days later to the joy of Donna Irvin, Black Hawk’s Equestrian Science Professor. Because of Sizzle’s theft, Irvin has headed up a new effort to promote horse theft awareness. The staff has invited Debi Metcalfe to present at a program on September 18, where the college’s horses will be microchipped by a veterinarian, and Debi will join others to speak about the prevalence, and prevention, of horse theft.
At that time, Debi is honored to present the reward posted by Tom Seay to Desirae Haar for identifying Sizzle so she could be brought home. The weekend of the Fourth was truly a cause to celebrate, and the instructors and students of Black Hawk’s Equestrian Program look forward to the official celebration September 18, which the public is invited to attend.
NetPosse is thrilled in the recovery of Sizzle and the arrests of four suspects. However, please remember that Sizzle is not the only stolen or missing horse listed on NetPosse.com. There are so many others that also need help coming home. Be sure to visit www.netposse.com for other stories.
Angela Kirby
Executive Coordinator
Stolen Horse International
© 2007 – This article must be kept intact and credit given to Stolen Horse International, Inc. and/or NetPosse.com. A lead portion may be used if a link to NetPosse.com is provided. 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.
