The news has outraged horse lovers and animal rights activists all across the country. From blogs to emails, frustrations are mounting and rumors are spreading, even allegations of a cover-up.
Ft. Pierre is South Dakota's rodeo capital and also home to World Champion Bare Back rider Casey Tibbs. But in the last month, this cowboy town has been bucked by rumors and accusations over a top-notch rodeo horse.
During the 4th of July weekend, Wendy Hallweg's barrel horse, Dually, was stolen. Halweg had just placed third in barrel racing and was on her way to compete in the professional circuit. But that all changed in an instant. The initial report came in that Dually had been taken from the Stanley County Fairgrounds sometime Sunday morning, July 5. He was later found tied to a tree near a home in Fort Pierre with several injuries.
"I couldn't believe what I seen, " Cathy Pirrung, director of barrel racing in South Dakota, said.
Pirrung is not only the director of barrel racing for South Dakota, she's also a good friend of Wendy Halweg. Pirrung thinks whoever took Dually also tortured him.
"He had injuries on his fetlocks, below his fetlocks. Rope burns under his front legs, across his eyes, above his nose. He was in bad shape," Pirrung said.
Dually has been getting treatment here at a veterinarian clinic ever since. The Stanley County Sheriff's office investigated the horse theft and turned over all the information to the state's attorney's office, but so far, there have been no charges, no arrests and very little information released.
KELOLAND News tried talking with both the sheriff and state's attorney, but both declined our on-camera interviews. State's attorney Tom Maher did tell KELOLAND News over the phone that there are several suspects and charges are possible, but wouldn't say if and when they'll be filed or against whom.
"The rodeo people are all upset about it and they should be because nobody seems to know who done it," longtime rodeo announcer Johnny Smith said.
Smith has announced rodeos in Fort Pierre for 35 years. He says the allegations of abuse are upsetting and thinks whoever is responsible should be arrested.
"I've been here 50 years in the rodeo business. This is the first one I've seen that every happened like that," Smith said.
Smith doesn't believe any cowboy would do such a horrible thing.
"I think it's a case of some idiot who was drinking or on dope or something just raising cane and happened to get this horse and nobody seems to know anything about it," Smith said.
There are also conflicting reports about how Dually received his injuries. Some say he was tortured, others say he caused the injuries himself by trying to get away after he was tied up.
"I don't know what happened in the time he was taken from his pen to when Wendy found him. The fact is he was taken from his pen," Pirrung said.
And that alone, Pirrung says, is a crime and the person responsible should be prosecuted.
"She assumed he'd be safe in that pen and when he was taken and she woke up the next morning, it was just devastating," Pirrung said.
"There should be some cause of justice in the whole thing. It's a terrible thing to have a horse abused like that, but somebody is responsible and I think the justice system will find whoever it is and take care of it," Smith said.
But when that will happen is what many people still want to know.
The South Dakota Rodeo Association is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who stole Dually. As for Dually, he's still being treated at the clinic for his injuries. His owner, Wendy Hallweg, declined our offer for an interview, but did tell us she doesn't know if Dually will ever be able to race again.
