They Beat Horses Here--And Proud Of It

They Beat Horses here in the land of the crosses. We had a monkey trial going on here trying to prosecute a trainer that believes beating animals is a training method. They didn't convict him the first time the had a trial, last year, and the jury turned him lose this year too. There was no contention that he did beat him. So what's with a jury who turned him out to do it again? This seem to be a habit of this town. They either don't deal with animal abuse cases or when they do, they conveniently forget to do it for so long the cases expire. Do you see something wrong here?

Updated at 6:45am -- Trainer Acquitted of Beating Colt to Death

Written by Bruce Daniels - ABQnewsSeeker

Monday, 26 January 2009 06:45

Las Cruces jury finds Lubbock man not guilty of extreme animal cruelty in February 2006 incident. Lubbock horse trainer Greg Collier was found not guilty by a Las Cruces jury on Saturday of extreme animal cruelty in the Feb. 14, 2006 death of a 10-month-old thoroughbred colt he was training in Chaparral, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported. State District Judge Stephen Bridgforth had given jurors the option of considering the lesser misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty, but the jury deadlocked at 11 to 1 for conviction, the Sun-News said. Senior Trial Prosecutor Richard Wellborn told the Sun-News that while the verdict was disappointing, he didn't believe the District Attorney's Office would give up pursuing the lesser animal cruelty charge. "It's a low charge," Wellborn told the paper. "But the stakes are high here. People care." Kevin Williams of El Paso, owner of the 10-month-old colt named Cowboy who died after a three-hour training session with Collier, fought back tears as he watched Collier leave the courtroom Saturday, the Sun-News said. "I just can't believe it," said Williams. 8:40am 1/22/09 -- Trainer Back on Trial for Horse Abuse: Lubbock man is accused of beating colt to death in Chaparral nearly three years ago. A Texas horse trainer accused of beating a colt to death nearly three years ago in Chaparral is back on trial in a Las Cruces courtroom this week after a mistrial was declared last year, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported. Greg Collier, 38, of Lubbock is accused of extreme animal cruelty for allegedly using excessive and violent means to train a thoroughbred yearling on Feb. 13, 2006, the Sun-News said. After being beaten for about three hours, the colt died of extensive internal injuries the following day, prosecutors alleged. Collier took the stand in his own defense in his previous trial in March 2008, but after more than four hours of deliberation, jurors were unable to reach a verdict and state District Judge Doug Driggers declared a mistrial, the Sun-News said. The retrial, before state District Judge Stephen Bridgforth, began with jury selection on Wednesday and is expected to last through Friday, the paper reported. 6:55am 3/27/08 -- Jury Hangs in Horse-Abuse Trial: Trainer accused of beating thoroughbred to death in Chaparral may be retried. Jurors in Las Cruces deliberated more than four hours Thursday but was unable to reach a verdict in the extreme animal cruelty case against 38-year-old horse trainer Greg Collier, who was accused of beating a thoroughbred yearling to death in Chapparal on Feb. 13, 2006, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported. State District Judge Doug Driggers declared a mistrial and gave the state 30 days to file for a retrial, the Sun-News said. Assistant District Attorney Richard Wellborn said the state won't dismiss the case, the paper reported. Defense attorney Lawrence Pickett told the Sun-News that the jury was split 9-3 for acquittal. "I'm always pleased when my client avoids a guilty verdict by a jury," Pickett said after the mistrial was declared. "It was a tough case. A lot for the jury to understand about how a horse reacts and sees things." Prosecutors have said the 10-month-old horse, which was not owned by Collier, was beaten for about three hours and died of extensive internal injuries, the Sun-News reported. 12:25pm 3/26/08 -- Trainer Accused of Beating Horse to Death: Trial of man charged in 2006 incident could wrap up today in Las Cruces. Closing arguments could be heard today in a Las Cruces courtroom in the trial of 38-year-old Greg Collier, a horse trainer who is accused of beating a thoroughbred yearling to death in Chaparral on Feb. 13, 2006, the Las Cruces Sun-News is reporting. Collier is charged with one count of extreme animal cruelty, a fourth-degree felony that could carry and 18-month prison sentence, for allegedly using excessive and violent means in training the thoroughbred, the Sun-News said. Prosecutors have said the horse, which did not belong to Collier, was beaten for about three hours and died of extensive internal injuries on the following day, the paper reported.