Irish showjumper held on horse theft charge

An 8-year-old horse valued at €20,000 has gone missing from its Wellington stable and authorities have charged the owner's former employee with stealing it.

Thirty-two-year-old Mark Reid is in jail and faces charges of grand theft of the Bay Selle Francais horse named “Narqois de B'Neville,” according to his arrest report from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

The horse's Wellington owner, Randall Jonson, reported the horse stolen Tuesday and told sheriff's investigators he suspected Reid, a former employee and rider.

At the time of the report Reid was in his homeland of Ireland. But investigators caught up with him when he returned Thursday. Reid at first told authorities he owned the horse and then later amended that to say he was “an agent for the owner,” the arrest report said.

“He could not name the owner. He told me that Johnson 'owed me money and was a drunk' He admitted that he did take a horse, but not one belonging to Johnson,” the investigator reported.

Reid is in the Palm Beach County Jail pending a €7.000 bond. Neither he nor Johnson could be reached for comment.

The arrest report notes: “To date the location of the animal is unknown.”