Dawn raid shatters dreams of family

by Jonathan Porter

THIEVES robbed a family of their livlihood and broke a little girls heart when they stole eight year old grey mare Dawn from her stable at Sydney's Showground. Dawn was the first horse to be stolen in the showgrounds 115 year history.Owner Sam Boglari said without Dawn a carriage  trained Anglo - Arabian he was planning to use in his business  - he was unemployed and in debt. Dawn was to have been the driving force behind the Golden Days Carriage Ride Company , which the father of two had moved from Ballarat.The horse and carriage were to have been used for functions, weddings and rides around town."it took me five years to train her to cope with traffic and to stand still during photographic sessions," Mr Bogalari said. Dawn was taken from her stable at the showground sometime between 9 am and midday on wednesday." I hitched her to the carriage the day before  and exercised her around the showground ; I think someone may have seen her and decided they liked her, Mr Boglari said."There are no words to describe the kind of people who would do this she was more than my livelihood , she was a member of the family and my daughters friend."Mr Boglari's daughter Naomi ,12, was too upset to speak about the theft . Mr Boglari called on security to be tightened after Dawns theft saying , the Showground should emnploy at least two extra staff.A spokesman for Showground security said there was no way security could keep track of every horse that was taken from the grounds "There are almost 200 horses stabled there , the spokesman said.The showgrounds general mananger of facilities said he was shocked by the theft.

Daily Telegraph 19.8.96

Horse paddocks poisoned

By Damon Leach

You know you are in the lucky country when you can keep a horse in the middle of suburbia.But not everyone condones such a privilege , as sans souci locals Jann Foster and Jason Hills recently discovered.Ms Foster and Mr Hills have kept horses in Rockdale Municipality for many years , and had not  experienced any problems until last week when the grass in their paddocks turned yellow.Someone had killed the grass in the horse inclosures by spraying poison. Mr Hills has reported the matter to police and sent samples of the dead grass away for laboratory tests . The horse lovers have posted a $500 reward for information about the poisoning of their paddocks ."We've never had any trouble with the neigjhbours ; they love the horses . The local kids all come up and feed them in the school holidays. "It worries me that someone has done this . We're concerned that it will happen again . You get that really scared feeling , like you're going to lose them" Mr Hills said he had kept horses in the area for more than 20 years and he had always enjoyed the support of the council and the local rangers."I'ts a pretty low act  to put the horses at risk "by tryin to poison them Mr Hill said.

(POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING)

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