MURPHY, Idaho — Stacy Budell has 68 acres of land near Murphy where her horses roam, but last week she says somebody shot her horse Annabelle's Song who was expected to give birth to a foal in the near future.
"Driving in and seeing her down my heart sunk, it was devastating and just beyond words," said Budell. "They are not just my horses, they are my whole life."
It's a heartbreaking story as Budell searched for years to find Annabelle. She was the first racing thoroughbred Budell owned and two of her foals have won races on tracks down in Arizona.
"She was one of the last unbridled mares that you could find," said Budell. "It has taken me years to get the blood stock."
To make matters worse, Annabelle was pregnant with a foal that Budell says had a bright future. She was excited to see what would become of this horse due to its pedigree.
"This was going to be the one that was going to put us on the racing map," said Budell. "That was probably a $250,000 baby she was carrying."
Budell discovered Annabelle last week near a feeding area a couple hundred meters from her gate. Budell believes someone shot her from the road near her gate next to the Airport and the small town of Murphy.
"There is really no line of sight other than from that road off of the highway," said Budell. "Why anyone would do that is beyond me, it is just absolutely beyond me."
The Owyhee County Sheriff's Office is combing social media, looking for clues. We talked to a neighbor who recently heard about the incident and they were shocked. Budell's Facebook post has been shared 1,300 times.
I talked with Owyhee County Sheriff Larry Kendrick, who says his deputies didn't find any bullet casing or the bullet as they continue their investigation. He asks that you contact his office if you have any information about this incident.
Budell is thinking about starting a GoFundMe page and offering a reward for information. She just hasn't gotten to it yet, as it has been a really tough week.
"It still just hurts," said Budell. "It has taken me so long to get the herd back, and I’m a single lady, I’m doing this on my own and it is just devastating."
In an update Stacey Budell did set up a Go Fund Me Page, you can find the link here.
