As we are all well aware, the biggest reason for slaughter given by the PSA brain trust is that it is a way to deal with `unwanted horses’. According to them, slaughter keeps all these mystical beings from wandering the streets and becoming a menace to society and a drain on our tax dollars. Of course PSAs like Naughty Tobiano want us all to believe that kill buyers are just super nice guys trying to earn a living. They would never send good horse that had a use to slaughter. Instead, they just hang out at sales and pick up all these unwanted horses and `recycle’ them for a new purpose. Doesn’t that just make you all warm and tingly inside?
Do you see the horse above? He was slaughtered at Les Viandes de la Petite Nation January 8, 2013. He was anything but unwanted. His name was Backstreet Bully and he was originally bred and owned by Adena Springs and raced under Stronach Stables. As many of you are aware, Adena Springs is owned by Frank Stronach and they have been leaders in the movement in finding new careers for retired racehorses. They have an entire division devoted to retired racehorses and have taken this commitment very seriously. Backstreet Bully wasn’t a great racehorse but he was graduate of their program. Here is the write up about him from the Adena Springs Retirement Program prior to him being sold:
“Backstreet Bully is a kind 4 yr old, 16hh OTTB chestnut gelding. He was retired from racing September 2008. He is a solid loving horse with tons of puppy dog personality. He’s got a great sound mind, willing attitude and is very well mannered; he just loves to be loved. He has been ridden both english and western walk, trot, canter and hacks out quietly both alone and with company. We have started basic Parelli training with him. Backstreet bully will make an excellent pleasure horse. He has no vices or bad habits. He trailers, cross ties, clips and is never a problem for the vet or blacksmith.”
Somewhere along the line, something went badly wrong for Backstreet Bully and he ended up in a kill auction. Details about what happened are still coming out, but every effort was made by Transitions Thoroughbreds and Adena Springs to save this horse. This is a quote from Transitions on their Facebook page about what happened at the sale:
“He was pointed out to me at the auction by an employee thereof as she knew I was there to buy tbs – I tried to buy him – my bid was not taken, perhaps not seen – I tried to buy him after from the kill buyer and was told no – he was meat only. He was not eligible for slaughter and it begs the question of why the very person who does the paperwork on every horse running through that auction would specifically point him out to me and describe him so that I could bid on him at that sale to buy him would do that if he was meat only as that would be something she would need to put on that kill sheet. He was NOT announced as meat only either in the sale ring. I tried to stop it again, I got no response, I contacted his connections who ARE on my list of people who most definitely do NOT want their horses going to slaughter and they took immediate action. His faxed drug records clearly proved he was not eligible. Everybody knows that all tbs have most definitely had at least bute amongst other drugs if they have raced – he was not eligible and he was killed for nothing!!”
I’m still trying to patch together all the details from various postings I have seen, but I do know this much….this was not an unwanted horse and this was not a horse that should have been slaughtered for meat or any other reason. This horse was still alive when his drug records were faxed to the slaughter-house. The slaughter-house was well aware they were in possession of a horse not suitable for slaughter for human consumption and that there were people wanting to bail him out. Remember, PSAs tell you it’s all about not wasting the unwanted horse’s meat. Well this horse was far from unwanted and he was most certainly not suitable for human consumption, but Les Viandes de la Petite Nation went ahead and slaughtered him anyhow just because they could. What purpose did that serve? The response of the CFIA vet in attendance at the slaughter-house, after she was informed of this horse’s drug status was “We (LPN) would have a lot of horses here and what would we do with them all?” I gather that statement was in reference to how many horses they have that are not suitable for human consumption. What DO they do with them all?
I have no personal connection with any of the people involved with Backstreet Bully and his sad end. If they choose to come forward and fill in some details, that’s great but I will leave it up to them. They are heartbroken over this and I don’t know what more they could have done. I haven’t seen the name of the person who adopted Backstreet Bully nor do I know if it is the same person that dumped him at this auction. What is important is that despite the fact that this horse should have never been at that sale in the first place, he seems to have been slaughtered out of spite. People tried hard to rescue this horse. They tried to buy him in the ring, they tried to buy him before he went on the truck. They informed the slaughter-house, backed up with vet records, that this horse should not be in a slaughter pen and they still went ahead and did it just because they could. Yeah, kill buyers are great guys and slaughter is just for horses that nobody wants. Rest in peace, Backstreet Bully. We won’t let them forget you any time soon……
*UPDATE ON THE NEVADA 34*
Word has it that Dorothy Robertson took a plea bargain today. She plead guilty to 5 counts and will get community service for each count and do 30 days in jail total. That’s not even close to enough punishment for a third time offender, but at least it’s something. I’m away for a few days but will update more details when I get back. Have a great weekend, everybody!
Shedrow Confessions 
People- please understand that Bully was given to an individual with the promise of pasture, which is what he needed for his condition. He suffered from a vitamin E deficiency which he had when he came off the track. He was cared for a loved by many people! Countless hours and a tremendous about of love was put into Bully, and when he was offered the chance to live out his days on pasture, he was given to said individual with the promise that he would be brought back if anything should happen. This individual lied to his loving owner, and it wasn’t until a newspaper appeared on their door step, that they were made aware of this.
For one second people, imagine how it would feel, to hear such horrific news about a horse you had cared for and given all your time and love to, from such a source. His owner is broken. Devastated.
You need to focus your attention to the kill buyer who fed them lies in order to obtain this horse.. It sickens me to think that you would jump all over his adoptive parents, when in fact you should focus your frustrations and emotions towards Glen Priest. The jack ass that lied to Bully’s loving family!
I am a third party in this matter, and it was not 2 days ago, that Glen looked me in the eye, and told me that he took Bully to a women named Linda in about 25 minutes from the farm!!!
I am beyond upset- I myself, have cared for this horse as it was my own. I have boarded my horses at his adoptive farm and watched them care for my horses like they were their children!!! I want you all to understand, that Bully is not a case of adoption gone wrong.
Before you comment, please ensure you have all the facts in hand and can make intelligent comments-
I guess my question would be why they did not get back in touch with the people they adopted him from? Isn’t that basically what most adoption contracts outline should you no longer be able to care for an animal? They are very welcome to tell their side of the story, but the end result is that a horse that was wanted ended up slaughtered. A Vitamin D deficiency shouldn’t have been a career ender nor should it have been grounds to give him away.
I know like most, you struggle to understand. But you really don’t have all the facts. As a third party, its not my place to speak on behalf of his owners.
You have no knowledge of Bully on a personal level, where I do, I’ve known this horse for years. He was given to a farm in which he was to be on pasture. Bully’s carreer was over the moment he came off the track. He was a light riding horse and he was a good horse.
There was never an intention for anything other than pasture at what was to be his new home.
Again, you must look to the person who’s deceit lead to Bully’s end.
It breaks my heart to hear what this person has done and you cannot imagine who his owner feels.
I don’t think anybody has named the person that last owned the horse . I may not know them personally, but I do have personal knowledge of Adena Springs and their program. They would have taken this horse back and done the right thing. That much I am sure of. This never should have happened had the adoption contract been honored.
See that’s the thing, his family did not get him from that farm…. He was adopted out to another farm and he was given to his family a few years ago…. And Bully at no point was unwanted! He was loved, but needed grass on top of the vitamin E treatments he was recieveing
Right, so as was stated, somewhere along the lines the adoption contract was not honored and a horse that was wanted ended up slaughtered. Again, nobody named the family as far as I know.
i do not know how it took me so long to see this but i just came upon this today. backstreet bully is VERY special to me and i have fought long and hard to bring justice to this situation and much has certainly transpired since his tragic death at lpn. backstreet bully’s history was traced – from adena to how he ended up at that auction. this is not the story i heard but it does not matter – he is dead. i was the last person that gave a damn about that horse to see him alive and i made every effort to be able to identify him – i was beside that horse in the slaughter holding pen and i held his halter while i flipped his lip and memorized his markings and i saw firsthand exactly what he looked like – in every way and i stayed at that hell hole and i watched him load on that tractor trailer knowing there was not a damn thing i could do about it at that time. to say that i was frantic to find a way to save him is an understatement. glen priest purchased that horse from his last ‘caretakers’ for 100. – he is a well known horse dealer – he shipped him to OLEX – he signed the kill sheet. although these last caretakers were not the original adopters, i do know how they were associated with those that did adopt him. backstreet bully was not initially adopted as a companion horse but instead as a sport horse. as i said, his path was traced from beginning to end – every detail. i will just say this, the day that backstreet bully stood at the auction at OLEX, he did not look like this photo above. as they say, hindsight is 20/20 and in this case all it would have taken was a phone call. i have no idea whether that person that handed the lead shank to glen priest had any idea what they were doing – i would like to think not, i would like to think they would have made that call instead but they did not and he is dead. i still tried to get that kill buyer and his broker to stop it and they would not. i was on that call to the slaughter plant as we desperately tried to save him and i was the one that guaranteed quarantine so yes, this is very personal to me and when i received that message less than an hour later telling me he was dead, they had killed him, i swore i would do whatever it took to make sure he had the last word and he did and honestly, i do NOT care who has their nose out of joint because they feel they may be unjustly blamed – i could care less – all i cared and still care about is that horse. his story WOULD be told and it was and i am glad that alex atamenenko spoke of bully in his speech before parliament in his attempts to pass bill c-571 here in canada. there is absolutely NO reason backstreet bully should have been killed, his kill sheet was fraudulent and he certainly was NOT eligible for slaughter. might i also add that i was privy to a LOT of phone calls and communications over all of this so yes, i know exactly what went on from start to finish and i hope that all of those that brought about the death of backstreet bully rot in hell.
And it is now, my mission to make sure Bully’s voice is heard. HIS story. Not the regurgitated version that is plastered on these forums.
I understand the outrage everyone one feels- but NO ONE feels it more than his family
Like I said, nobody has named them. I think people should because I sure would hate for them to get another chance to make this mistake, if that’s what it was.
And again, you make comments with absolutely NO facts to back up your statements.
I suggest at this point, you take the time to reevaluate what you are saying before you make comments about situations and or people do you not know.
I’ll stand by what I wrote. It is accurate.
The only accurate part is the sad end in which met.
Its the in between you are lacking accuracy.
Bully’s story will be told-
You need to allow his family to heal, as they just learned the truth this past week.
Do yourself a favor. Contact Glen Priest, you ask him about the farm and this Linda that was to give Bully a green pasture.
If you are looking to lay blame, please direct it towards the person soley responsible.
You want to start a witch hunt, hunt the person who lied and was the one who signed the paper at the kill house, because that is where this all went terribly wrong.
Bully was a sweet and kind and gentle, much like the family that spent years and thousands of dollars to treat and diagnose his disorder.
To say Bully was unwanted, is an understatement of the century! Bully was family, and loved by his family, and myself included.
Ok, I’ve devoted enough time to you today as you are obviously trolling. Nowhere in this blog has it placed any blame on anybody other than the auction, the kb and the slaughter house. His story should be told. Over and over again. It’s disgusting what happened to him.
There is nothing to troll for dear.
I simply pointed out the lack of facts in your statements towards his family and the events in the recent months.
Clearly I corrected the inaccurate statements you made about Bully being unwanted.
My dear, the only waste of time, is you speaking on subjects in public forums without facts.
You obviously have reading comprehension issues. I never made any comment about his `family” and I said he was anything BUT unwanted. I even went so far as to say nobody has really said how he ended up there. Again, what I wrote was accurate and it stays as is. If you disagree, please go start your own blog about it and you can even drop a link in the comment sections here.
its sad he was a lovely kind horse
I would say that there is an obvious comprehension problem here. The article is clear in placing the blame where it belongs. With the kill buyer and the slaughter house. It is a story that seriously needs to be told, as this beautiful being is a poster baby for what happens daily. Job well done!
Hey where not stupid when you sell a horse to a horse dealer for $100 you know dam well where the horse is going to end up
No. The ultimate responsibility lies with the government agencies that are responsible for food safety (APHIS [US] and CFIS ([CAN]….I don’t know what the hell goes on in Mexico).
Read EWAs latest email about Ottawa, Backstreet, Stronach reps, etc.
My above post was for “bevkins77″….something screwy going on with older blog posts for me.
Tommytoenail is right….any smart and sensible horseperson knows what happens when you sell a horse to a dealer. They are in the business to make money and anyone who lives in the area where Bully was picked up, knows this dealer and his reputation. Stupidity is not excuse! They should have found Bully a home and NOT sold him to a dealer.
I agree!
I think it’s the most discussing thing, there no words to describe this misery and heartless damage that these people have created, made me feel completely sick! It should make everyone, and everyone should go against this slaughtering. I’ve dealt with Glen Priest before in the past and now I’m scared to know what has happened to all these beautiful poor helpless horses.
[…] fate of Backstreet Bully, when his connections tried to save him after he was shipped to slaughter (https://shedrowconfessions.wordpress.com/2013/01/11/a-sickening-end/). Lucky for these two horses, due to the tenacity of several advocates and perhaps divine […]
A fascinating discussion is definitely worth comment. I believe that you ought to write more on this subject matter, it may not be a taboo subject but typically people do not talk about these topics. To the next! Many thanks!!
Aw, this was an extremely nice post. Spending some time and actual effort to make a really good article… but what can I say… I put things off a lot and never manage to get nearly anything done.
An interesting discussion is worth comment. I think that you ought to publish more about this subject matter, it might not be a taboo subject but usually people don’t discuss these subjects. To the next! All the best!!
[…] to 2013 and a horse named Backstreet Bully. Like Grand Strand, he was a four-year-old OTTB (“off the track thoroughbred”) originally […]