Two ‘greedy’ showjumpers have avoided jail after stealing £51,000 worth of horse-riding equipment from fellow riders taking part in major equestrian competitions across the UK.
Former Horse of the Year show winner Kieran Quinn, 36, and his partner Jamie Aston, 32, stole items including saddles, stirrups and riding boots as riders waited to compete in international events last year.
The thefts took place at Bolesworth Castle in Cheshire, the Weston Lawns Showground near Coventry and the David Broome Event Centre near Chepstow, South Wales.
In one raid the pair drove hundreds of miles in a hire car and sneaked into stables in the dead of night to break into lockers whilst victims were asleep. They then travelled back home with their swag that same morning.
Both men were caught after victims – some of whom were Facebook friends – spotted the pair offering large quantities of horse tack for sale on equestrian social media pages. Police also checked their mobile phone records and found the men were using their devices in the vicinity of the events on the days of the thefts.
Former Horse of the Year show winner Kieran Quinn (left), 36, and his partner Jamie Aston (right), 32, have avoided jail after stealing £51,000 worth of horse-riding equipment from fellow riders taking part in major equestrian competitions across the UK
In one raid the pair (Jamie Aston pictured) drove hundreds of miles in a hire car and sneaked into stables in the dead of night to break into lockers whilst victims were asleep. They then travelled back home with their swag that same morning
Quinn and Aston stole items including saddles, stirrups and riding boots as riders waited to compete in international events last year
One text message Quinn sent to Aston at 4.54am during the international horse show at Bolesworth said: ‘Take what you have. People are starting to wake up.’ A later panic message from Aston to Quinn sent at at 5.19am said: ‘There’s a groom walking down, help. She’s walked into the first block I stole from, help.’ Quinn then replied: ‘Just leave – run.’
One rider who had been expecting to win her contest finished sixth after having to borrow a saddle to take part. Another was left feeling ‘anxious’ about going to future horse events after being targeted by the thieves.
In a statement one victim Natassia Purnell who lost a dressage saddle, a show saddle, stirrups and boots worth £7,567 whilst attending one event with her five year old son said she had to put one of her two horses up for sale as a result of not being able to ride him.
‘When I found out that my tack had been taken, I was devastated,’ she said. ‘My son was unable to ride in his class and I missed my class and the entire weekend which we had spend months preparing for was ruined.
‘How do you explain to a five-year-old that they cannot do what they love because of a theft? He was very upset, and we all felt violated.
You can’t just replace this sort of equipment. The saddles especially were made to measure and take months to arrive, and that is after the weeks waiting for them to be measured and fitted.
‘I lost out on attending the British Eventing Championships and may never get the opportunity to compete at this again, all because of this incident. It may seem like something small to some people however the loss of my tack and saddles has been heartbreaking. All the years of work I now feel like they have been wasted. I have not competed in the 2023 season due to the anxiety of being at shows.
‘This was not an opportunist theft. This was meticulously planned. They knew exactly what they were stealing and how it would affect individuals. Mr Aston even had the audacity to try to befriend me on social media.
‘Anyone who has horses and who competes, knows how hard it is and this makes the fact that these people have committed this crime against one of their own even more disgusting. They have ruined peoples dreams through their own greed.
‘One of the defendants competed in the Horse of The Year Show and should have known better, and I am devastated to have had him as a ‘friend’ on social media. He would know how hurtful and spineless this act against me was. He would know how much of an effect it would have on me and how much it would spoil the hobby that I love.
‘He would know how much it costs and how hard it is to replace such items. He has absolutely no excuse to justify what he has done. He had ruined people’s lives. This is completely unacceptable behaviour that can never be justified or forgiven. My love for these shows has gone and it is all because of what these two did. It is going to take time to go back to what was the most wonderful hobby.’
Both men were caught after victims – some of whom were Facebook friends – spotted the pair offering large quantities of horse tack for sale on equestrian social media pages
At Manchester Crown Court, welding inspector Quinn (right) – who won the Search for a Star contest at the 2015 Horse of the Year show with his show hunter Game of Thrones – and Aston (left) who live together in the village of Blaengwynfi, in south Wales, admitted theft and handling stolen goods
Jamie Aston pictured in a stables with a young foal
At Manchester Crown Court, welding inspector Quinn – who won the Search for a Star contest at the 2015 Horse of the Year show with his show hunter Game of Thrones – and Aston who live together in the village of Blaengwynfi, in south Wales, admitted theft and handling stolen goods.
Aston was sentenced to to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years and 120 hours of unpaid work whilst Quinn was sentenced to 14 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, along with 100 hours of unpaid work. They admitted carrying out thefts at Bolesworth and ‘fencing’ stolen tack from other events. The total haul stolen was worth £51,009. Both now face a Proceeds of Crime hearing.
The thefts took place last year during a dressage event at Weston Lawns showground near Coventry in April and subsequently in July at the Bolesworth International horse show near Chester and then the Cricklands summer show at the David Broome Event Centre near Chepstow.
Mr Paulinus Barnes, prosecuting said: ‘Isabelle George had gone to the event at Weston lawns and was staying in her horsebox overnight. Her tack was stored in a metal locker about 100m away from the horsebox in the stables area. But on the morning of April 24 she discovered that her metal locker had been broken into and items stolen.
‘Over the weeks that followed she became aware of items being sold on Facebook pages associated with showjumping and the items being sold were suspiciously similar to the items that had been stolen.
‘The sellers were Quinn and Aston and she could see from Facebook that they had a connection. She used a different profile on Facebook to ask Kieran Quinn questions about the items he was selling to see if she could make sure they were her items. She took screen shots of the conversations, and of the items Jamie Aston was advertising.
‘Later on July 3 2022 during an international horse show in the grounds of Bolesworth Castle, four of those taking part, riders Madeleine Gervais, Bryony Holloway, Scarlett Ward and Maddison McCrory, had items of tack stolen overnight including saddles, bridles, boots and helmets.
‘Security staff were later to find some disturbance to the perimeter fence surrounding the area where the items had been stolen. Then at the David Broomes Event centre near Chepstow Natassia Purnell had a number of items of equipment stolen from her locker, including saddles, stirrups, boots and girths.
Police alerted by the victims raided the men’s home and recovered more than 20 items of horse riding kit from the house, their car and later a tack room at a nearby farm used by Aston. Cell site data showed the two men had travelled to the events on the days of the thefts whilst cameras captured their Vauxhall Corsa hire car.
In interview Aston gave no comment,. Quinn denied wrongdoing but then said Aston had told him he was going to ‘meet someone’ to buy tack from them. He told officers: ‘I knew it wasn’t probably 100% legit, but I didn’t realise it was all stolen.’
Aston (left) was sentenced to to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years and 120 hours of unpaid work whilst Quinn (right) was sentenced to 14 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, along with 100 hours of unpaid work
Mr Barnes added: ‘Isabelle George describes the anxiety of fearing that she may be stolen from again and said she could not afford to buy more tack. She said some of the stolen tack was of sentimental value, and said she had been unable to work properly for four months whilst waiting for new saddles.
‘The items she had stolen are two Voltaire Stuttgart saddles, worth £5,500 each, so total £11,000. Other equipment included girths, bridles, headcollars, breastplates. The total value was £14,590.
‘At Bolesworth Castle, Madeline Gervais had two Bruno Delgrange saddles stolen, with stirrups, boots and a helmet. The total value of stolen items was 10,850 Euros, approximately £9,300. She says that not all items were recovered.
‘Bryony Holloway had a Devoucoux Chiberta saddle stolen, valued at £3,000.. For Scarlett Ward, the items stolen were a Bruno Delgrange saddle, CWD Mademoiselle saddle, each of these were fitted with stirrup leathers and straps. Total value £10,108.
‘One saddle was recovered but in a poor condition and likely to be used again. Maddison McRory had been due to compete on the morning of 3rd July in the show jumping grand prix competition which she had been hoping to win but did not have her own equipment. She had to borrow tack from friends, which she felt hindered her performance. She ended up finishing sixth.
‘There was also a delay in her insurance payment. She said she was very upset that someone had gone through her personal belongings and upset what is usually a very enjoyable time at Bolesworth Castle. It cost her £4,894 to replace her stolen tack.’
In mitigation Quinn and Aston were said to be ‘genuiniely remorseful.’ Sentencing the judge Mr Recorder Eric Lamb told them: ‘You are each experienced in the equestrian world and these were mean spirited offences. What you did has had an impact upon the friendly community of those involved in the horse world.
