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Horse Trainer Accused Of Animal Cruelty Was Suspended By OHRC

SALLISAW (KFSM) — A Sequoyah County man who is facing three counts of felony animal cruelty after the sheriff’s office said deputies found dead hors...
robert howard dimitt

SALLISAW (KFSM) — A Sequoyah County man who is facing three counts of felony animal cruelty after the sheriff’s office said deputies found dead horses on his ranch had been suspended by the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission in August 2014.

Robert Howard Dimitt, 57, was arrested and bonded out of jail Monday (August 3) after a caretaker alerted the sheriff’s office of the conditions at the ranch, according Sheriff Ron Lockhart.

The Oklahoma Horse Racing Comission is an agency that licenses owners and trainers who race horses on the three race tracks in the state. An OHRC official said the commission only has jurisdiction over transgressions that take place on the race tracks.

Court documents show the OHRC suspended Dimitt following  two violation at Will Rogers Downs. In his capacity as a trainer, Dimitt entered two horses named Little Prairie Wagon and Divine Patriot into races in September and October 2012, court records state. After the races both horses had their blood tested and the tests came back positive for the presence of Chlorpromazine, which is a prohibited substance/medication, according to court documents.

Dimitt requested to test the samples at an independent lab, but the results also came back positive for Chlorpromazine, the documents state.

The Board of Stewards at Will Rogers Downs found Dimitt had violated the rules and referred the matter to the OHRC with a recommendation to suspend him for three years and fine him $10,000, according to the documents.

Court records show Dimitt appealed the OHRC decision saying the suspension was an excessive punishment.

A decision from the court is still pending, but a judge did not issue a stay in the case, which means the suspension is in effect during Dimitt’s appeal, according to the Sequoyah County Court Clerk’s Office.

Dimitt’s arraignment hearing on the animal cruelty charges against him has been schedule for August 12 at 1:30 p.m.

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