NEWS&VIEWS


Pilchard Guilty of 39 Misdemean- ors, Not Guilty on Felony Charges


Barbara Pilchard appeared in Wicomico


County Circuit Court on Friday, April 5, 2019, and was found guilty of 39 misdemeanor charg- es. T e 75-year-old Hebron resident was fac- ing 56 counts of misdemeanor charges and 16 counts of animal cruelty felony charges after dozens of horses were found dead on her prop- erty in March 2018. Nearly 100 horses were seized from her farm and placed with rescues and private farms. In this bench trial, the judge also declared Pilchard not guilty on the felony charges and has deferred sentencing pending the outcome of a pre-sentence investigation. T is in- vestigation is expected to take 60-90 days.


Barn Fire in Calvert County Several farm animals died on the evening of


March 28 when a fi re destroyed a pole barn at Laura White’s farm in Huntingtown. T e fi re was reported at 10:23 p.m. and forty fi refi ght- ers brought the fl ames under control in 30 min- utes. Investigators from the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Offi ce reported that the fi re was caused by an electrical malfunction in one of the horse stalls. T e estimated damage is $150,000.


The Chronicles of Pimlico Continue Over the last few months, as we moved


steadily towards the 144th Preakness Stakes, the debate over Pimlico and where the Preak- ness should be held heated up at a rapid pace. From lawsuits to closures to withholding funds, it can be hard to keep up! T e great Pimlico debate seems to have


started several years ago as owners T e Stron- ach Group (TSG) fi rst began to develop Lau- rel Park into a “super track” with multiphase upgrades, as Pimlico received patchwork fi xes and a new coat of paint. While several news organizations speculated as to whether or not TSG intends to move the Preakness to Lau- rel, TSG stated it is committed to keeping the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico through 2020. In December 2018,


Kudos to…


the Maryland Stadium Authority released its study on Pimlico stating it would take $424 million to rebuild the historic track. T e new version of Pimlico would include additional structures, such as a hotel, supermarket and


shops that would enhance the surrounding community. Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh supported the proposal and at the time, TSG stated it was open to funding proposals but could not pay for the rebuild on its own. When the 2019 Maryland legislative ses-


sion began, a bill that would help speed up the development of Laurel and reopen the Bowie Training Center was put before the Maryland House of Delegates. While legislators debated HB 990/SB 883, Mayor Pugh held a press conference on March 19 announcing that she, along with the Baltimore City Council and three residents, fi led a lawsuit against TSG with the intent to keep the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. T e lawsuit claims that that TSG, owner of Pimlico, is “openly planning to vio- late Maryland law by moving the Preakness to a diff erent racetrack despite the absence of any disaster or emergency.” Current Maryland law states that the Preak-


ness Stakes cannot be moved from Pimlico unless there is a natural disaster or emergency situation forcing the race to be held elsewhere in Maryland. David McFadden of the Associated Press reported that through an email correspon- dence with TSG, a representative from TSG stated that the company “believes these actions [the lawsuit] are premature and unfounded.” T e lawsuit accuses TSG of creating a “disas-


ter” by under-investing in Pimlico and instead spending the majority of the state aid it receives on Laurel Park. T e lawsuit asks the court to grant ownership of Pimlico and the Preakness to the City of Baltimore through condemna- tion. T e lawsuit also asks that TSG be pre- vented from using any additional state bonds to fund improvements at Laurel. Meanwhile, bill HB 990 and its Senate coun-


terpart SB 883 were subject of intense debate and contentious hearings in Annapolis, but died on the last day of the 2019 legislative session. On April 13, the


Congratulations to Peggy Hoff man and Bruce Hoff man who will be inducted into the National Jousting Association Hall of Fame on June 15.


Maryland Jockey Club released a statement that it will be closing the northern portion of the Pimlico grand- stand for Preakness. In


the statement, MJC revealted that it hired Fai- sant Associates, an independent engineering fi rm, to assess Pimlico’s infrastructure and how the volume of spectators expected on Preakness would impact it. T e fi rm concluded, “there has


You Can Use Sold Through The Equiery!


Equiery freelance photographer and reader Tammie Monaco found her dream trailer in the April Equiery’s photo classifi eds and shared her joy on Facebook last month!


been signifi cant deterioration to the northern part of the grandstand, the exterior portion of the facility adjacent to the Clubhouse.” T is section of Pimlico is the oldest portion of the over 100 years old original structure. It can seat up to 6,670 spectators. People who had purchased tickets in this section had until May 1 to exchange their tickets. Shortly after this announcement, several Bal-


timore offi cials told T e Baltimore Sun that they felt the closure of the northern grandstand was retribution for the political defeat of the bills to enhance funding for Laurel and Bowie. City offi cials demanded evidence of the safety prob- lems sited by the MJC statement. Department of Housing and Community Development spokes- woman Tammy Hawley told the Sun, “We are now having our building inspection team request a copy of the engineer’s report and conduct an inspection. We are also reaching out for the fi re marshal’s offi ce on the matter.” According to the Sun, TSG refused to release the engineer’s report stating they were still reviewing its fi ndings. What does this mean for the 144th running continued...


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


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