Top trainer accused of soring horses
Friday, March 2, 2012
By BRIAN MOSELY ~ bmosely@t-g.com
Prominent walking horse trainer Jackie McConnell is known in recent years for showing Moody Star to numerous top ribbons, including world championships in 2005 and 2006. He was arrested and charged yesterday with allegedly soring Moody Star and other horses and showing under a proxy trainer after his license was suspended in 2006.
A prominent Walking Horse trainer and three others were arrested Thursday and charged in a 52-count federal indictment with violations of the Horse Protection Act (HPA).
Jackie L. McConnell, 60, Jeff Dockery, 54, John Mays, 50, all from Collierville, and Joseph R. Abernathy, 30, of Olive Branch, Miss., were charged with conspiracy to violate the protection act by transporting and showing horses they knew to be "sored" and also falsifying entry forms and paperwork.
The indictments were unsealed on Thursday and filed in the United States District Court, Eastern District at Winchester.
McConnell was under a five-year suspension from showing horses by the USDA due to prior violations of the HPA. The suspension ended on Oct. 31, 2011.
McConnell and Dockery face 47 counts each, while Abernathy faces 10 counts and May only one charge. If convicted, the four face a maximum term of three years in prison for each felony count and up to one year in prison for each misdemeanor.
McConnell was arrested at his barn in Collierville near Memphis Thursday morning. Jackie is the brother of three-time World Grand Champion trainer and Walking Horse Trainer of the Year Jimmy McConnell.
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