NEWS &VIEWS


Barn Fire Kills 8 Horses On Saturday, February 9, fi re departments


from three counties arrived at Centerline Farm in Union Bridge in response to calls about a barn fi re. Firefi ghters arrived around 4:30 p.m. to fi nd the barn 70% engulfed in fl ames. T e roof had already collapsed, trapping and kill- ing all eight horses inside. It took fi refi ghters an hour to get the fi re under control and another hour to extinguish the blaze. Joyce Moxley and her father Richard


own Centerline Farm. T e Equiery was able to speak briefl y with Joyce on Sun- day, February 10. Joyce reported that all eight of their driving and show horses perished as well as several barn cats. She also told T e Equiery that neighbors had come by on Sunday to remove and bury the horses and cats. On February 21, Frederick County Di-


vision of Fire & Rescue Services Battalion Chief Kenneth L. Poole told T e Equiery, “T e cause was the failure of an extension cord that was powering the block heater on a tractor parked inside the barn.” He added that the estimated damage from the fi re is $135,000 stating, “fi nal loss amounts are determined by the insurance company and the owner if they suff er any losses not covered by insurance.” T e Equiery sends its condolences to the Moxley family.


aff ecting the Maryland horses as well. Taylor stated that they are not too concerned with the outbreak but are monitoring the situa- tion closely. “To date, we have not seen Swamp Cancer here in Maryland,” she stated. “It tends to be a fresh water issue and there are not as many stagnant fresh water areas on our side of the island,” she added. Taylor went on to explain that Swamp Cancer is not contagious and that the organism that causes the disease typically is


You Can Use Dykes was referring to the 25 dead horses


found on Barbara Pilchard’s Hebron farm in March 2018. T e case spanned several months and nearly 100 horses were removed from the property. Pilchard was indicted on animal cru- elty and related charges on May 21 and formal- ly charged with 16 felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty and 48 misdemeanor counts of animal abuse and neglect on June 8, 2018. T e new regulations give police more power when it comes to dealing with all animals “at-large” and also allow authorities to be proactive and ensure the situation does not become a nuisance. T ere are also tighter regulations on tethering an animal and protection of animals in harsh weath- er conditions like extreme cold or heat.


Harford Co. Horse Killed by Car On Wednesday, February 13 around


Correjon Sets Laurel Track Record On February 3, FTF Racing’s Correjon set a new track


record at Laurel Park while winning the Super Bowl Starter Handicap. T e fi ve-year-old gelding ran the 6 ½ furlongs in 1:15:07 to break the track record set by Eb- onizer on November 23, 1990. Correjon was ridden by Jorge Ruiz and trained by Jose Corrales. T is win was also the third in a row for Correjon this winter.


Swamp Cancer Contained to VA In the fall of 2018, seven Chincoteague Ponies


from the Virginia side of Assateague Island died from a fungus-like infection commonly called Swamp Cancer. T e disease is caused by Pythiosis insidiosum, an organism that can be found in stagnant water. T ese seven horses in Virginia, which are managed by the Chincote- ague Volunteer Fire Department, all showed signs of the disease while on Assateague Island and were aggressively treated. Unfortunately, there currently is no real cure and all horses succumbed to the disease. T e two herds of horses that live on As- sateague Island are separated by a fence and managed by separate groups. T e Maryland side of the Island is managed by the Maryland Park system as a National Seashore. T e Equi- ery spoke with Assateague Island National Sea- shore Assistant Public Relations Offi cer Kelly Taylor about the outbreak to fi nd out if it is


killed by the late winter cold temperatures. She also pointed out that the Maryland side of the island is managed as a wildlife preserve with very little intervention from humans into the daily lives of the horses and other wildlife on the island. “We manage our herd as wild horses and let nature run its course whenever possible,” she explained. As of press time, no other horses on the Vir- ginia side have shown signs of the disease.


New Wicomico Co. Animal Regulations


In October 2018, the Wicomico County Council passed a new set of animal regulations while repealing the old regulations. T ese new regulations offi cially went into eff ect on Janu- ary 19, 2019. Wicomico County State’s Attor- ney Jamie Dykes said, “T e horse investigation from March of last year did discover some loopholes and that’s what I think the county council was trying to address when they passed these ordinances.”


7 p.m. a horse got loose in the area of Foxridge Drive and Route 155 near Level Road in Harford County. According to Sergeant Anthony Dudek of the Maryland State Police Bel Air Barracks, the horse entered the eastbound lanes of Route 155. T e police report stated that two cars


heading east hit the horse, which was then hit by a car traveling west. A fourth car, also heading east, then struck one of the other three cars in the accident. T e horse died at the scene and at this time, no informa- tion on the owner of the horse has been made available. No people were injured in the crash.


Wicomico Humane Society Director Accused of Theft


Aaron Balsamo of the Humane Society


of Wicomico County was recently charged with one count of theft between $10,000 to $100,000 for “unauthorized personal transac- tions” using a Humane Society credit card. Wicomico County District Court documents state that only Balsamo had access to the credit card used for these personal purchases. According to the statement of charges, Hu- mane Society board members contacted the Wicomico County Sheriff ’s Offi ce Criminal Investigation Division last August. A forensic audit received by investigators on February 7 revealed that there were 688 “unauthorized transactions” made between August 11, 2016 and July 20, 2018 that totaled $58,899.


continued... IF YOU HAVE NEWS, VIEWS OR UPDATES TO CONTRIBUTE, PLEASE SEND THEM TO THE EDITOR at


The Equiery, P.O. Box 610, Lisbon, MD 21765 • FAX: 410-489-7828 • email editor@equiery.com. Be sure to include your full name, phone number and address. All submissions become the property of The Equiery.


www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580 MARCH 2019 | THE EQUIERY | 11


Maryland Jockey Club


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