By T. D. Thornton
Charles A. “Chuck” Borell was freed on a $4,300 bond July 1 after spending more than 48 hours locked up at the Boyle County Detention Center. He was arrested Wednesday on 43 counts of cruelty to animals charges after the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDOA) determined that 43 undernourished and neglected horses at a Mercer County Farm he leased met the legal criteria for abandonment.
Chuck Borell's daughter, the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint-winning trainer Maria Borell, remains at large with an active warrant for her arrest on similar charges. The KDOA announced earlier in the week that Maria Borell is associated with the ownership of those horses.
But in a Friday phone interview, Dr. Robert C. Stout, the KDOA state veterinarian, said his department lacks the resources to launch an all-out search for Maria Borell.
Even though the Borell investigation is a highly charged case that has drawn considerable media scrutiny, Stout explained that the KDOA has neither the manpower nor the money to launch an exhaustive effort to apprehend a Class A misdemeanor offender who might have fled the state.
“Unfortunately, there's not really a good process. It's a misdemeanor, and I don't think it's extraditable even if an out-of-state authority could locate her,” Stout told TDN. “I have heard nothing about her possible whereabouts at all, and we don't have the resources to extend [a search for her] beyond local. That's not something we could do.”
Maria Borell has not returned multiple messages left by TDN this week asking for her side of the story.
On Friday morning, Chuck Borell was listed on the online jail roster of the Boyle County lockup. By 4:00 p.m., his name no longer appeared on the list. When TDN phoned the jail to ask about his whereabouts, the official who answered said, “He's already gone. He got bonded out.” Beyond stating the amount of his bond, the official said she was not allowed to name the person who paid it.
At deadline for this story, Chuck Borell's case was not listed on any online versions of the July 5 or 6 district court dockets for Boone or Mercer counties, and Stout said he did not know when an arraignment was scheduled.
The KDOA and Mercer County Sheriff began investigating the case of the neglected horses at the leased farm June 3. They were found underfed, underwatered, and confined. The horses were of all ages with open sores and untrimmed feet. As of June 27, the KDOA was working with on-site volunteers to care for the abandoned horses, although six of them were moved off the property to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation for better care.
The KDOA eventually levied one Class A misdemeanor charge of abuse against each of the Borells for each of the horses that had been left on the property. In Kentucky, a Class A misdemeanor is punishable by 90 days to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $500 for each count.
Stout spoke to TDN soon after returning from an inspection at the Mercer County farm.
“I just left the farm, and am very gratified to see the condition of the horses,” Stout said. “The attitude of the horses is what impressed me. They're being well cared for, they're being well fed, and I'm happy with the situation as its evolving as far as it relates to the horses. The staff that is there is highly dedicated to their well being, and the response from the equine community has overwhelmed me. I just can't believe what's happening [in terms of the outpouring of support.]”
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