Idaho, stolen from Shelby Farm September 26, 1997 RECOVERED
SEPTEMBER 17, 1998, 51 WEEKS LATER!
This the horse that started
IDAHO ALERTS FOR MISSING HORSES
Read
Idaho's story as told by Debi Metcalfe in 1998.
The theft of Idaho started more than Debi and her family could
ever imagine.
Today the internet is full of helpful resources,
other organizations are copying Stolen Horse International, Inc.
all because of the theft of one horse, thousands of kind people
around the world and one very determined woman.
Never underestimate the power of
one!
Run mouse over pictures for
narratives.
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Below
is the form submitted by Debi Metcalfe.
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real name: Debi Metcalfe  
owners name: Harold Metcalfe
email: idahonc@aol.com
city: Shelby
state: NC
zip: 28150
other phone:704-484-2165
date of theft: September 26, 1997
type of theft: missing from pasture
city county of theft: Cleveland
horses name: Idaho
breed: gaited racking horse
sex: mare
color: white, with flea-bitten head and neck, flea-bitten spot on
her right side, tri-color mane and tri-color tail
age: 12 years old
weight:
height: 15 hands
identifiable characteristics:
- white body
- Flea-bitten head mostly brown with flecks of white and black
- white blaze which you can see but it too fades a bit on the
sides
- Flea-bitten brown spot on her right side. It has
flecks of black and white hairs in spot. It is a large
spot.
- Mane starts at the top with forelock black, black part of
the way on her neck and the rest of her mane is whit
 e
- Her tail is white at the top with tri-color tail at the
bottom
- When gaiting her neck sets high and her tail comes up like a
rooster
how stolen: Someone who has been watching and baiting our horses
cut the pasture fence, lead  her
to a trailer waiting near by and took her away
local agency: Cleveland County Sheriff's Office
agency address: DeKalb St
agency city: Shelby
agency state: North Carolina
agency zip: 28151
agency county: Cleveland
agency phone:
agency fax:
agency report date: 9/26/97
agency case num:
agency contact:
reward: yes
STOLEN HORSE IDAHO RECOVERED ONE YEAR LATER
1998 Cleveland, TN- An arrest warrant has been issued for Steve Schuffler of Valdese, NC for the larceny of livestock, a felony in North Carolina in the case involving Idaho, a 13 year old spotted racking mare. Idaho was stolen on September 27, 1998 from her owners, Harold and Debi Metcalf's pasture in Shelby, NC. Thus started a yearlong search by the Cleveland County, NC Sheriff's Department and the Metcalf's for their beloved horse, Idaho. The search took Lt Gary Gold to several states checking out leads, while Debi Metcalf turned to the Internet.
Idaho's picture was listed on numerous websites and posted to equine mailing lists and bulletin boards. Her flyer was downloaded and posted across the country. A few newspapers and TV stations covered Idaho's story after Debi Metcalf pleaded with the media for help in publicizing the widespread problem of horse theft. Debi Metcalf watched while other horses stolen and posted on the Internet were found within weeks of being stolen while the whereabouts of Idaho remained a mystery.
According to Lt Gold, Idaho was allegedly stolen by Steve Schuffler of Burke County, NC on 9/27/98 and sold at Burrell Horse Auction, Inc. in Cleveland, TN on 9/29/98. She was sold to the owner of the auction, Mr Burrell for $800.00.
In the weeks following the sale, Mr Burrell having apparently become aware that Idaho was stolen, allegedly contacted Mr Schuffler and told him to come and get the horse because she was stolen. Allegedly Mr Schuffler again took possession of Idaho and returned to Burke County, NC and over wintered her in pastures in Burke County, NC.
Sometime during late winter to early spring Mr Schuffler allegedly returned to Cleveland, TN and sold Idaho to Chris Ledford. Idaho was then resold to another horse dealer, who in turn resold Idaho to a family in Etowah, TN. Reportedly Idaho was in poor condition at the time of this sale.
She was shown in racking shows by this family, doing well enough to raise her value to an estimated $10,000. There is the possibility that Idaho is in foal.
The Metcalf's travelled to Cleveland TN on 9/16/98 to claim Idaho and are now returning home with her to Shelby, North Carolina, just 10 days shy of a year since she was stolen. The Metcalf's turned down an offer by the family in Etowah to purchase her.
According to Lt Gold, if Idaho was not such an unusually marked horse, the Metcalf's never would have found her. In Lt Gold's opinion horse owners need to have their horses branded or tattooed for easy identification. In his investigation he found detailed and accurate record keeping by auction houses was non existent facilitating the trade of stolen horses.
Lt Gold stated that Idaho was listed as a "Paint Horse" when sold through Burrell's Horse Auction. This description does not mention her age, sex, or her markings in violation of USDA APHIS regulations.
Further charges could be filed by TN authorities against others involved in the sale and resale of Idaho.
Contact:
LT. GARY GOLD
Cleveland County, NC Sheriff's Department
704-484-4888
Idaho's Owner Debi Metcalfe
can be reached at:
IdahoNC@aol.com
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