ALEX TREBEK OWNER CRESTON FARM IN TROUBLE

[Picksix]

WOMAN SAYS ALEX TREBEK STOLE HER $100,000 HORSE

SAN LUIS OBISPO (CN) – “Jeopardy” host Alex Trebek stole a woman’s $100,000 racehorse by telling her it had been euthanized at Trebek’s Creston Farms, but actually euthanizing a different horse and whisking BeBe Trando away from her, Marion Warner claims in a lawsuit filed in San Luis Obispo County Court. Warner claims she left BeBe at Trebek’s stables to be bred, then received a call that the mare had become ill and had to be euthanized. But Warner says the vet that allegedly euthanized it told her he had not been at Creston Farms that night. She thinks Trebek’s stables pulled the old switcheroo; she wants BeBe back or more than $100,000 plus treble damages.
BeBe was born in April 2002 by Bertrando out of Ten Cents a Dance. Warner says she left the mare at Creston Farms on Jan. 21 to be bred with Iron Cat. Creston Farms’ breeding manager called her on Feb. 24 saying that BeBe would be bred the next day, the suit claims.
But on March 2, Creston’s farm manager Art Mercado called her and said BeBe had become sick and had to be euthanized at 2:30 a.m., by Tristen Weltner, a veterinarian with San Luis Obisbo Equine Veterinary Services. “Creston Farms authorized BeBe’s alleged euthanizing without Plaintiff’s knowledge or express consent, and without first contacting Plaintiff,” the complaint states.
It continues: “Plaintiff later discovered that SLO Equine Veterinary Services had not euthanized any equines on the day in question, or the prior week, at Creston Farms’s facility.”
Warner says SLO Equine Veterinary Services euthanized a horse at Creston Farms on Feb. 17, and that Creston Farms says it was named BeBe, but “the description of the horse does not match BeBe’s description.” She believes that Trebek and Creston either killed BeBe without permission of the owner, or sold, traded, gave her away for their own purposes.
Represented by Diehl & Rodewald of San Luis Obispo, she seeks compensatory and punitive damages for conversion, breach of contract, negligence, emotional distress and violation of state animal law.
Creston Farms is a 700-acre stud farm near Paso Robles.

[LightsOn]

This is odd... Especially since they would have zero benefit to steal the horse. I think the owner should have been notified before the horse was put down but I'm not buying this.

Adding: Another odd note. This filly - a foal of 2002 wasn't even officially named until 1/19 three days before she was sent to be bred.

[Gerry]

Something doesnt sound right. Why would they steal the mare and tell her owner it was euthanized. The owner reports her as deceased to the JC and the mare has no value to anyone.....there must be much more to the story.

[Tucumcari]

That's almost too bizzare to be true...

[Sysonby]

My first reaction: Iron Cat stands for $2500--what are the odds he's covering a mare worth $100,000? There aren't an overbundance of mares worth that much in the California program to begin with. That part would appear to be a little legal license in the complaint.

And if they can't get that part right, what did they get right?

[FOS]

hi guys

I'd like 'Strange Tales for $300' please.

hmmm...sounds like someone's credibility may be in jeopardy.

Respectfully

[timex]

and i'll take 'Mysterious Horse Farm Happnenings for $500' something is definitely fishy.

[NW Breeder]

Talk about a certifiable NUT CASE! There is a nicely bred Bertrando mare on the TIA site right now for $1200.00. $100,000.00! They raise high quality marijuana in CA (their #1 agricultural crop). Maybe this individual has smoked a little too much!

[madelyn]

Hmmmmm...... Ten Cents a Dance is the dam? Obviously not the '73 model -- where I could believe a filly out of her might be worth six figures. Must by the '97 model by Two Punch. While the dam apparently sold as a 2yo in training for $280K there are no progeny listings on my '03 APR so the owners of Bertrando thought so little of the breeding they didn't even report it.....

Sounds like a nuisance lawsuit to me. Little horse owner figures farm owner Alex Trebek has SO MUCH MONEY he won't miss a little dribble like two or three hundred grand.....probably just pay to hush it all up....

Who was it who said something to the effect to restore civilization first we'd have to kill all the lawyers?

[llbean]

Hi Madelyn,

I don't know of anyone famous who said that; but Ben The Butcher said: "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers" in the Shakesperean Play Henry VI, Part Two. It was the famous Jack Cade rebellion against King Henry the VI that took place in the 15th Century.

-llbean

[Sysonby]

A little sleuthing reveals that the dam sold at the 505 dispersal in 2000 for $65,000. Here's her page:

http://www.barretts.com/catalog/505sale/pdf/80.pdf

Of course, any breeder will tell you that $65,000 as a racing prospect does not necessarily translate into that amount as a broodmare unless something good happened on the page.

[Stedfast Farm]

Must of been someone who lost to "Ken Jennings." Not much telling what a disgruntled contestant will do.

[LightsOn]

The 2003 filly died too.

[BJ]

This is odd... Especially since they would have zero benefit to steal the horse. I think the owner should have been notified before the horse was put down but I'm not buying this.

Adding: Another odd note. This filly - a foal of 2002 wasn't even officially named until 1/19 three days before she was sent to be bred.

I *believe* their breeding contract (and many other farm's breeding contracts) state that the mare owner gives Creston Farm the right to make such decisions. READ THE CONTRACT PEOPLE. And insist on changing the clauses you don't like, or don't agree.

This is taken directly from a Creston breeding contract:

5. STANDARD OF CARE AND HEALTH OF THE MARE. The owner of the mare agrees that he has made himself familiar with the facilities of the ranch where the stallion stands and that he is also familiar with and approves of the care provided by the ranch. It is mutually agreed that Creston Farms or any representatives thereof, shall not be liable for any death, disease, or injury to any animals either through accident or otherwise while in the care of Creston Farms. The stallion owner agrees that the owner of the mare shall not be liable for any death, disease, or injury to the stallion excepting only that the owner of the mare agrees that the mare shall be healthy and in sound breeding condition when it arrives at the stallion ranch and shall not be bred to the stallion at any time during which the mare, in the sole opinion of the ranch manager, is not healthy or in sound breeding condition or that such breeding would be detrimental to the health or well being of either the mare or stallion. It is agreed that the stallion owner may have the mare examined or cultured by a qualified Veterinarian at the expense of the owner of the mare in order to determine the health or breeding condition of the mare. It is also agreed that ovarian examinations and pregnancy examinations by manual rectal palpations, and visual vaginal examinations may be made as appropriate so as to optimize chances for conception. It is further agreed that any animal, while in the care of Creston Farms, may be wormed, treated or doctored in any manner deemed necessary in the judgment of the farm manager.
[EMPHASIS ADDED]

[BJ]

My first reaction: Iron Cat stands for $2500--what are the odds he's covering a mare worth $100,000? There aren't an overbundance of mares worth that much in the California program to begin with. That part would appear to be a little legal license in the complaint.

And if they can't get that part right, what did they get right?

Probably a case of an attorney churning fees AND, excuse me, BUT if a mare is worth $100k, wasn't it insured? Wouldn't the insurance company be suing instead of the insured? Sounds like her screaming and yelling got her nowhere so she found a fee churning, frivolous lawsuit lawyer to file a lawsuit. Wonder if they took it on "contingency" basis. Doubt it!

She's gonna have a heck of a time proving conversion. She'll have to find the mare!