Teen girl arrested after allegedly stabbing three horses at Las Vegas racing event
A teenage girl has been arrested and accused of stabbing three horses at a barrel racing event in Nevada.
On Saturday (30 May), the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to a report that a horse had been injured at a barn located in the 9700 block of South Las Vegas Boulevard at roughly 2:07am.
A police press release explained that patrol officers arrived and found that three horses had been ‘intentionally injured with a sharp object’.
The LVMPD Animal Cruelty Section was notified of the injured animals and also responded to the scene.
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Through the course of the investigation, detectives identified a teenage girl as a possible suspect, who had access to the barn, and police investigators believe may have used a knife to inflict multiple injuries on the horses.
While the injuries were not considered life-threatening, they were expected to prevent the horses from competing in 2026 NBHA Professional's Choice Las Vegas Super Show, which took place at the South Point Arena & Equestrian Center.
For those who are unfamiliar, barrel racing is a popular rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to run around preset barrels in the fastest time.
Detectives located the teenager at a nearby hotel and took her into custody, before she was transported to Clark County Juvenile Hall, where she was booked for 12 counts of willful or malicious killing, maiming or torturing an animal, and three counts of felony malicious destruction of private property over $5,000.
The National Barrel Horse Association (NBHA) has also released a statement on the matter, clarifying that it was an ‘isolated’ incident and ‘all appropriate steps have been taken to ensure the well-being of all horses’.
However, they also alleged that the person involved was an ‘event competitor’.
The statement read: “The 2026 NBHA Professional’s Choice Vegas Super Show, held May 29-31 at the South Point Casino in Las Vegas, experienced an isolated incident during the early morning hours of Saturday, May 30, involving the mistreatment of a limited number of equine athletes by an event competitor.”
It continued: “The situation was addressed immediately in coordination with the National Barrel Horse Association, the South Point Hotel & Casino Security, Metro Police, and all appropriate parties.
“The individual involved has been removed and placed in the care of authorities, and there is no ongoing threat of any kind. We ask for respect and consideration for all involved during this sensitive time.”
The LVMPD is urging anyone with any information about this incident to contact the LVMPD Animal Cruelty Detail by phone at 702-828-3364. To remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 702-385-5555, or on the internet at www.crimestoppersofnv.com.
Madison Burgess