Effort to Identify Abandoned Horses Continues

The task of identifying horses allegedly abandoned on a Central Kentucky farm continued this week, with The Jockey Club representatives taking DNA samples to be sent to a laboratory for analysis.

Rusty Ford of the state veterinarian’s office within the Kentucky Department of Agriculture said the DNA swabs were taken from the 37 horses that remain at the farm near Harrodsburg, Ky., and that samples will be taken later from six horses that were previously relocated from the farm to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation’s facility at the Blackburn Correctional Complex near Lexington.

The Jockey Club officials documented the markings and took photographs of the horses at the farm that will be used in the identification process. Also, microchips were inserted in all the horses at the farm, and eventually those at the Blackburn facility, to help with future identification.

The identification process will help investigators determine the owners of the horses that have been cared for by volunteers since early June on the 121-acre property reportedly leased by Charles Borell of Syracuse, N.Y.

Borell, who was taken into custody at the farm last week and charged with 43 counts of second-degree animal cruelty, has been released on bond and scheduled to make his first court appearance Aug. 1. Borell’s daughter, Thoroughbred trainer Maria Borell, has also been charged 43 times with the misdemeanor counts but has not been located.

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Ford said owners who had horses with Borell have contacted the Mercer County attorney’s office and provided documentation of ownership.

Meanwhile, Ford said the volunteers and representatives of Thoroughbred Charities of America were continuing to ensure the horses at the farm are receiving proper care. The farm is listed for sale.

Ford said six horses among the 37 at the farm that were not Thoroughbreds will be relocated to the Kentucky Horse Park soon.