Olympian rider let pony suffer in ‘severe pain’

Zafira endured days of agony due to neglect at hands of farmer

A FORMER Olympian has been fined thousands of pounds after allowing a Shetland pony to suffer in “severe pain” for days.

Margaret Greaves, now 65, represented the UK horse riding team in dressage and now has a farm near Kintore. Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard she had been “around horses all her life” but nonetheless left 11-month-old pony Zafira with a horrific leg injury.

She said she did so in the hope it would remedy itself, despite veterinarians saying the pony should be euthanised to spare it further pain.

Zafira was eventually put down, but only after “at least seven days” of suffering, having endured necrosis and infection.

Animal welfare chiefs welcomed the court’s action but said they believed Greaves, who keeps cattle, sheep, Clydesdales and as many as 20 Shetland ponies, should have been banned from keeping animals.

Greaves told the court she would feel “eternal regret” that her actions had not been different.

Aformer Olympic horse rider has been heavily fined after she allowed a Shetland pony to suffer agonising pain for seven days following a horrific leg injury.

Margaret Greaves, who was once an international dressage rider, delayed having 11-month-old Zafira put down despite the animal being unable to walk and having a wound that was “worn down to the bone”.

The 65-year-old appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where she admitted allowing the pony to “suffer unduly” in her care at a farm steading at Balcraig, near Kintore.

The court heard how between June 28 and July 4 last year Zafira had suffered an injury caused by fence wire that was so bad that a vet advised she should be euthanised.

But Greaves ignored the order in the hope that the animal would recover.

A post-mortem examination later showed that Zafira has suffered from the leg wound for “at least seven days” and would have been in “severe pain”.

Fiscal depute Dylan Middleton told the court: “Representatives from the SSPCA found that the wound was indeed worn down to the bone and there were flies at the injury.

“The animal was struggling to move about because the foot was dangling from the leg and hanging by a tendon.

“The wire had buried in the tendon and was necrotic and infected.

“Videos and photographs were taken at the time and the vet was of the opinion that the pony had suffered unduly.”

Seeing how serious the injury was, the duty vet advised that Zafira should be euthanised immediately on welfare grounds.

It was also the vet’s opinion that suffering had been caused by the failure to arrange the original euthanasia.

Zafira was then put down due to it being the “only option”.

Defence agent Gregor Kelly described Greaves as a woman who had “been around horses all her life”.

He told the court his client operates a small farm steading where there are two Clydesdale horses, 20 Shetland ponies, alongside cattle and sheep.

He said: “Her employer has no concerns whatsoever and she has a long history of looking after animals properly.

“This should be seen as an aberration. She knows it was an error in judgment and she feels eternal regret.

“She loves animals and she loves horses. She had wanted to see if the horse might recover, but it quickly turned into tragic circumstances.

“She was an international dressage rider and represented her country as part of the Olympic horse riding squad.”

Sheriff Graeme Napier told Greaves, of Balcraig Kintore, that in light of the pain and suffering she caused Zafira he would fine her £3,375.

However, he did not disqualify her from working with horses in future.

Scottish SPCA inspector Lesley Crockett said “We’re pleased that Margaret Greaves has received a fine, but it is disappointing that she did not receive a ban. This was a serious case of neglect and she caused her pony so much unnecessary pain and suffering.

“We hope that in the future she will seek the appropriate veterinary treatment for the animals in her care to prevent any further suffering.

“If anyone is concerned about an animal, they can contact our confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.”

ORDEAL: Injured Shetland pony Zafira was euthanised after being left to suffer for seven days by former Olympic rider Margaret Greaves, right.