Stable owner hopes story will highlight importance of proper equine insurance.
The owner of a local equine facility is hoping her story will motivate other horse lovers to ensure their animals and equipment are safeguarded.
“I just want to make sure that everyone has the proper insurance for their stuff,” said Kim Mervyn, of Park Lane Stables south of the village of Erin.
On Nov. 20, 13 English style riding saddles were stolen from her tack room. Three belonged to Mervyn; the rest to her clients.
“I was upset and in shock,” said Mervyn. “How could someone do this to me and to my clients?”
Rider Michelle Cowan of Georgetown, was the first to discover the theft, which included her own saddle.
“I couldn’t even talk,” Cowan said of her reaction to the disappearance of the equipment.
She noted riders and staff at Park Lane Stables are very close, “So it felt like a personal attack, even though it wasn’t.”
Mervyn explained the saddles were all “high end” and custom made in France, with some ranging in value from $5,000 to $6,000, for a total combined value of about $60,000.
“It was a major theft,” said Mervyn.
But rather than sit back and feel sorry for themselves, those at Park Lane Stables – including both Mervyn and Cowan – took matters into their own hands.
They spread the word to “every tack shop from the GTA to Wellington,” placed reward ads in local Newspapers, told their story on social media sites like Facebook, and monitored eBay for any clues.
The eBay avenue eventually paid off about a month ago, as a Park Lane Stables staff member successfully bid on a saddle girth that a client identified as one of those stolen from the Erin facility.
“We were able to get [the seller’s] name and location by giving a U.S. shipping address … and contacted the Sheriffs Department in Orange County, North Carolina,” Mervyn said.
“The police located his storage unit, obtained an arrest warrant and raided the locker. Everything was there. The saddles still had the nameplates on the back! They were stripped of irons and leathers, all taped and ready to be sold.”
Ronald Nixon Jr. was arrested and charged with possession of stolen property, in addition to unrelated firearms charges.
North Carolina authorities are hopeful Nixon, who they say works in the horse industry as a trainer and has spent time in the Toronto area at Woodbine Racetrack, will help them identify the individual who sold the stolen goods to him.
“He claims he bought them in Canada on a recent trip, but we believe he either had in informant or an accomplice,” said Mervyn.
“The person that stole the saddles had to have known how to get into our barn and no one had ever seen this guy before. He is currently in jail and awaiting prosecution and we are still searching for the informant/accomplice. We want justice.”
While she awaits word on the local connection to the theft, Mervyn is very pleased with the outcome so far.
“It’s wonderful to know that good guys do win,” she said. “I was/am so lucky to have such a supportive and understanding group of clients. They made an awful situation easier on me.”
It now appears most of the stolen items will be returned by the beginning of March, but almost all the victims were covered under their home insurance anyway.
“Everybody except me,” Mervyn said with a laugh.
She explained no one was covered for their loss under their equine insurance, an oversight she summed up in one word: “dumb.”
Luckily, she added, “I think there is a clause in home insurance covering equipment related to a hobby”
“While I know that my clients (and myself) will now ensure they are fully covered under their equine policies,” said Mervyn.
“It’s so important to have coverage … You just never know what can happen and when. I would have never thought this would have happened in my barn.”
Cowan said all the victims are pleased with the final outcome and look forward to putting the episode behind them.
“I think we’re all pretty relieved we’re on the back stretch,” she said with a smile.
