A teenage girl was arrested in Las Vegas after three horses were “intentionally injured with a sharp object”.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) confirmed that the young girl was taken into custody in the early hours of 30 May and charged with 15 offences.
The US National Barrel Horse Association (NBHA) confirmed that the teenager was a competitor at the NBHA 2026 Professional’s Choice Vegas Super Show at the South Point Casino in Las Vegas.
In a statement, the NBHA said there was an “isolated incident during the early hours of Saturday, 30 May, involving the mistreatment of a limited number of horses by an event competitor”.
The situation was addressed immediately with police, security and the NBHA, the statement said, adding: “The individual involved has been removed and placed in the care of authorities and there is no ongoing threat of any kind.”
An LVMPD spokesperson said the department received a report that a horse had been injured at just after 2am on Saturday morning.
“Patrol officers arrived and learned that three horses had been intentionally injured with a sharp object,” he said.
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“The LVMPD animal cruelty section was notified and responded to the scene. Through the course of the investigation, detectives identified a teenage girl as a possible suspect.
“The teen had access to the barn, and investigators believe she may have used a knife to inflict multiple injuries to the horses. While the injuries are not considered life-threatening, they are expected to prevent the horses from competing.”
The girl who was arrested was found by detectives at a hotel nearby and taken into custody. She was then taken to Clark County juvenile hall, where she was charged with 12 counts of wilful/malicious kill/maim/torture animal – horse, and three of felony malicious destruction of private property over $5,000.
It is understood the girl has made one court appearance and is due to appear again this week.
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
