A welfare charity has issued an urgent appeal for information after two trailers were stolen.
Two Ifor Williams HB610 trailers, one green and one blue, were stolen from Bransby Horses, in Bransby, Lincoln, on Sunday evening (14 October) at around 7pm. The blue trailer has been recovered from the West Yorkshire area but the green trailer remains missing.
Head of external welfare Ryan Rouse said: “Any break-in understandably leaves a tainted emotion, but to have such vital equipment stolen is devastating. The knock-on effect means that in the short term at least, we are unable to fully complete the charity’s core value of rescue.
“The blue trailer has been altered with a winch so collapsed horses could be moved quickly and safely when manpower alone simply isn’t enough. We are so fortunate to have had this trailer as a direct result of our supporters’ kind generosity. I really hope we are able to move forward quickly from this sad event and get back to normal.”
The charity said the response from the public has been overwhelming.
“One trailer has been recovered and surprisingly appears to be relatively undamaged, although a full assessment will be made before we travel any equines,” said Mr Rouse.
“Despite having the trailers locked at the hitch behind a padlocked gate and a camera directly over the trailers, the charity was still a target for theft. To steal from anybody is simply wrong but to steal from a charity really makes you question the type of people these are. The police have been excellent with their support and also Ifor Williams, who have been incredibly helpful.”
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A spokesman for Lincolshire Police said: “We received a report that two trailers have been stolen from Bransby Horses. Access was gained to the yard by grinding the locks off. Bransby Horses is a charity which works hard to raise every penny to support and look after horses, donkeys and mules. The theft of these trailers from a charity is beyond belief and will affect the fantastic work the charity does.
“We appeal to anyone with information that will help our enquiry, whether this is to identify the criminals who stole the horseboxes or to locate the second horsebox to contact us at force.control@lincs.pnn.police.uk, by dialling 101 or alternatively contacting Crimestoppers, which can be anonymous, on 0800 555 111 or on-line at crimestoppers-uk.org. The incident number is 384/14/10/18.”
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
