EDMOND — A valuable quarter horse belonging to an Edmond couple was shot to death in a field near 33rd Street and Air Depot May 15 or May 16, and his owners are wondering if the incident might be related to other animal shootings north of Edmond.
“I’ve heard there’s been a rash of killings of animals up off of Waterloo Road,” said Cynthia Becker, one of the horse’s owners, referring to the shootings of several goats in Logan County.
“Niko,” her 7-year-old chestnut gelding, was found dead in a fenced area on May 16, Becker said. As a barrel racer, Niko — registered name Krimps Rising Moon — was worth at least $8,000, but his value to his owners was inestimable.
Now Becker would like to know who killed the animal, and why.
Evidence showed Niko was standing near the corner of the fence line when he was shot, and he bled to death within 50 feet of the spot, said Edmond Animal Welfare Officer Ian Wolfe, who investigated the case.
“We believe it was a shotgun slug that caused his death,” Wolfe said. “The slug was not recovered, but guessing by the size of the entry wound, we think that’s what it was.”
Wolfe said there was limited evidence at the scene, and no suspect has been identified. He’s working with deputies from the Logan County Sheriff’s Department to keep in touch about the animal shootings, although there’s no clear connection between the events.
“The Logan County case has been going on for over a year, and the goats have been shot with a small-caliber rifle, a different weapon,” he said. “But I am keeping in contact with the Sheriff’s Department, and they’re keeping in touch with me.”
Becker said she appreciates Wolfe’s ongoing efforts to solve the case
“He has really gone above and beyond the call of duty,” she said.
Wolfe said he didn’t believe Niko’s attacker was targeting the Beckers or even the horse himself. “I think someone driving by just had a gun and wanted to see what it was like to shoot a horse,” he said.
Becker and her husband, Charlie, acquired Niko in a rather unusual way. Becker is a paraplegic, paralyzed in an accident 18 years ago. A couple of years ago, she decided she wanted to return to horseback riding. Becker bought a horse in Florida, where she and her husband lived at the time, and her husband “fell in love” with another horse — Niko — at the same facility.
“He wanted to buy him, but the owner said he wasn’t for sale,” she said.
The couple moved to Oklahoma in late 2004, and fate intervened when Niko’s Florida owner died suddenly.
“Her fiancé called and said, ‘If you can pay to get Niko to Oklahoma, you can have him.’ We literally inherited him.”
Charlie Becker was delighted to have the horse, Becker said.
“He rode him all the time. He was absolutely devastated when Niko died. That horse was his best friend.”
Wolfe said he still hopes to solve the mysterious death.
“We (at Animal Welfare) feel like we’re responsible for all the animals in Edmond,” he said. “I don’t appreciate someone taking potshots at my horses.”
An attorney herself, Becker would like justice to be served in the animals’ deaths. She and Wolfe both encourage anyone who has information to contact the Animal Welfare office.
“We will pursue any leads,” Wolfe said, adding that the suspect, if caught, would likely face felony animal cruelty charges.
(Alice Collinsworth may be reached via e-mail at acollinsworth@edmondsun.com.)
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