5/18/2023 7:13:00 AM

Stephanie Dyches 5/9/23 It brakes my heart to be in this situation, but I am asking for help to save Ben and bring him home. 10 yrs ago I placed Ben with a gentleman who promised to give him a forever home. In lou of money I required a signed a contract stating that he would be returned to me in the event that the gentleman was unable or unwilling to keep Ben. However this week I discovered that the gentleman's granddaughter has placed him with a trainer to be sold. I reached out to the gentleman, the granddaughter and the trainer. I have been unable to reach the gentleman, and the trainer simply blocked me without responding, even though I sent her a copy of my contract. The granddaughter (who was aware of the contract from the start) said the contract wasn't signed by her. Ben is now 16, coming 17 and so he is now past his prime and my fellow horsemen and women know how close he is now to falling through the cracks and ending up in a bad place. Which was why I had the stipulation and contract to begin with. I have spoken with my attorney and he said this is a civil matter and the fastest way to ensure his safety and guarantee a happy retirement is to buy him back. And so while I will will be pursuing legal action for the broken contract, I feel it is in Ben's best interest to buy him back.

Debi