Trainers, owners in court fight over prize horse's death

VERSAILLES, Ky. — The story of the mysterious death of Wild-Eyed and Wicked sounds as if it came from an Agatha Christie novel.

Someone sneaks into a stable at night and injects the award-winning Saddlebred with poison. The horse has to be euthanized, and 18 months later, as a legal battle ensues between the owners and the trainers, the carcass is exhumed. Now everyone is anxiously waiting to see if the horse's remains reveal clues to its death.

In this small town known for tobacco crops and championship horses, Wild-Eyed and Wicked is as much a celebrity in death as he was in life.

Among American Saddlebreds, known for their unique paces — a showy slow-gait and a high-speed rack — Wicked became a crowd favorite with his ability to glide gracefully around the arena. He is a legend among show horses, just as Secretariat is to thoroughbred racehorses.

Show trophy retired

The attack on the two-time American Saddlebred Triple Crown winner shook this close-knit community in 2003, and after Wicked's death, the horse-show industry retired a trophy in the horse's name, making him only the sixth horse to receive such an honor.

Wicked was awarded the final Kansas City StarChallenge Trophy, ending a 70-year tradition at the American Royal Saddle Horse Show in Kansas City, Mo.

Wicked was again thrust into the limelight in early February as his carcass was dug up, giving renewed energy to the criminal investigation that — despite a $100,000 reward — has baffled investigators for nearly two years and yielded no suspects.

The 11-year-old chestnut gelding was among five horses attacked that night at Double D Ranch. All the horses had strange circular wounds on the back of their left foreleg, leading veterinarians to conclude the animals had been injected with some type of caustic substance.

Exactly what the substance was remains unknown. Officials hope that by exhuming and testing the remains, they will be able to determine what substance was used.

Two horses recovered. But Wicked and two other Saddlebreds — Meet Prince Charming, a 2-year-old gelding, and Kiss Me, a 4-year-old filly — had to be euthanized.

The substance cut off blood circulation to the leg tissue and eventually ate the tissue away to the tendon, causing the horses extreme pain, according to veterinarian reports. The bone and muscle were so damaged that the horses could no longer stand.

"It boggles the mind to think that anybody would do something like that to a horse. It was very grotesque," said Bill Rambicure, the attorney representing the owners of Double D Ranch.

The night of the attack on Wicked, ranch owners David and Dena Lopez were out of town at a horse show.

When Dena Lopez checked on the horses after returning around 11 p.m., she noticed swelling in Wicked's leg. Initially, she thought it was a viral infection that had been going around, but the next day it had worsened, Lopez's attorney said.

"Everybody believes that somebody came out to the farm while the Lopezes were gone and injected something in their legs," Rambicure said. "One thing that has to be determined is the motive: whether there was money to gain, an ax to grind or a grudge against the owners or the Lopezes."

Wicked's owners, Joe and Sally Jackson of Overland Park, Kan., said they purchased Wicked in 2001 for $550,000, yet he was insured for $200,000. Sally Jackson said she had four horses boarded at Double D when the attacks occurred. In addition to Wicked, another of her geldings, 6-year-old Cats Don't Dance, was poisoned but recovered.

"When we bought Wicked, we were looking for the best horse we could find. We wanted something really outstanding and Wicked was it ... ," said Sally Jackson, who has been showing horses since she was 8.

"Horses have been my life and this has devastated me. I rarely go to see a horse show anymore. I used to ride every day. Now I rarely do."

The Lopezes also have a strong emotional attachment to the horse, Rambicure said.

Battle in federal court

Since Wicked's death, the Lopezes and the Jacksons have been battling in federal court over whether to dig him up and where he should be reburied.

The Lopezes initially sued the Jacksons for the $13,172 they spent caring for the horse. The Jacksons countersued, accusing the Lopezes of negligence in Wicked's death.

The Jacksons acquired a court order to have Wicked exhumed from his grave at Double D ranch. They paid for the exhumation as well as the toxicology tests. Though the Kentucky State Police did not initiate the exhumation, officials said the investigation will benefit from anything discovered.

"This is a pretty in-depth investigation, and it is a tough case because you have to depend on people cooperating with us. Some have and some have not," said Trooper Ronald Turley of the State Police. "And not knowing what kind of substance was used makes it tougher."

No autopsy was performed on the horses when they were euthanized because the insurance company did not request it, attorneys said. Several blood and tissue samples were taken, but they were inadequate for testing.

This time, some of the remains will be sent to toxicologists at the University of Oklahoma hired by Jackson to perform the tests. An MRI will be performed. Officials said the results could take several weeks.

The civil suits the Jacksons and Lopezes have filed against each other could linger for years in the courts. But recently, they reached an agreement on where Wicked will be reburied.

In what could be his last tribute, Wicked will take his place alongside other award-winning horses at the prestigious Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington adjacent to the Hall of Champions Pavilion.