Idaho Falls, Idaho – An Idaho horseman and his horse were killed Monday evening after being hit by a semi-truck on Old Butte Highway north of the town of Hamer.
According to the Idaho State Police who are investigating the crash, which occurred on Monday just after 8pm, a 59-year-old male was driving the 1998 Peterbilt semi northbound on the highway when he struck 56-year-old Pedro Puente Nunez and his horse.
The deputy coroner for Jefferson County, Idaho, released the victim’s identity on Tuesday.
According to Idaho State Police, Puente was thrown from his horse after being hit from behind by the semi-truck. He and the horse died from their injuries.
The family has created a GoFundMe page. The victim’s daughter, Jennifer Puente, said on the GoFundMe, “I appreciate and thankful [sic] in advance for anyone sharing or posting this to spread awareness of the passing of my dad. Pedro (Puente) was a bright light to anyone who [knew] him.”
The crash is still under investigation by the Idaho State Police.
DISCLAIMER: Equestrian Media Group cannot assure readers that any support provided for any included appeals for charity will be applied for the benefit of such persons.
Corvallis, Ore. – The Oregon Agristress Helpline – 833-897-2474 – is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by call or text. The voice line can be accessed in up to 160 languages with the help of interpreters, and the text line services English, Spanish and Vietnamese.
The AgriStress Helpline is unique because it is completely dedicated to serving Oregon’s agriculture and forestry communities, which includes farmers, farm workers, ranchers, fishermen, foresters and their families.
In June, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 955, sponsored by Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, which provided a one-time $300,000 general fund appropriation to the state Higher Education Coordinating Commission to distribute to the Oregon State University Foundation to establish an endowment for Oregon State University Extension Service to implement and operate the helpline in Oregon.
Gov. Tina Kotek signed the bill into law in a ceremony in Prairie City in July, making Oregon the seventh state to link into the AgriStress Helpline. Nationally, OSU is the first academic institution and the first land grant university to partner with a state on the helpline.
“This is an important milestone in the effort to provide mental health assistance for folks who are vulnerable to suicide,” said Allison Myers, associate dean for Extension and engagement at the OSU College of Health. “I want to express my enormous gratitude for the numerous people and organizations who got behind this and were able to make it a reality.”
A coalition of 27 farm groups and healthcare organizations advocated passage of SB 955. Myers, who also leads the OSU Extension Family and Community Health program, and Todd Nash, a Wallowa County rancher and president of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, were instrumental in building support for the helpline.
The issue of mental health for farmers and ranchers has become a “top subject” in rural Oregon, Nash said.
“Suicide is a tough subject,” Nash said. “It’s affecting our communities. It has huge impacts on families.”
According to the National Rural Health Association, the rate of suicide for farmers is 3½ times higher than the national average per capita. Mental Health America, a national nonprofit advocacy organization, placed Oregon nearly at the bottom of its state rankings for a higher prevalence of mental illness and lower rates of access to care.
According to the Oregon Violent Death Reporting System, deaths by suicide in Oregon have been higher than the national average since at least 2001, and they are increasing year over year.
The helpline was established by AgriSafe Network, a nonprofit organization that aims to improve the health and safety of farmers and ranchers through their Total Farmer Health approach. AgriSafe Network is an affiliate of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and a founding member of the national AgriStress Response Network.
All AgriStress Helpline calls are answered in 30 seconds or less, and all callers are screened for suicidality. Intervention occurs for people at imminent risk. Others are offered relevant resources, tailored to the agriculture community and by state/region. All callers are offered a 24-hour follow-up call, also through the AgriStress Helpline.
Calls are answered by credentialed suicide/crisis specialists trained in cultural competencies in agricultural mental health and factors affecting mental health, including production and financial issues, injuries, market fluctuations, and family dynamics. Their training meets the standards of the American Association of Suicidology.
AgriStress Helpline staff complete 300 hours of professional development, including an overview of state-specific agricultural contexts and ongoing quarterly training in agricultural stress topics. AgriStress Helpline staff are aware of state- or regional-level agricultural events that may impact call volume, for example, a disaster, community tragedy, or reports of yields that may impact financial well-being.
The Oregon State University Extension Service shares research-based knowledge with people and communities in Oregon’s 36 counties. OSU Extension addresses issues that matter to urban and rural Oregonians. OSU Extension’s partnerships and programs contribute to a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future for Oregon.
Jonramon Vaughns (aka John Henry) is pictured left while working as an auctioneer for PNW Horse Sales. On the right is a 2018 booking photo from an arrest on multiple warrants on charges in Louisiana of stealing over a dozen horses.
PNW Horse Sales’ announcement on Facebook that it would be ceasing operations made on September 14th also came a day after NW Horse Report started new inquiries into the company’s contracted auctioneer having been previously arrested for a highly reported horse theft scheme in Louisiana.
Allegations from numerous buyers and other people familiar with the auction included the company failing to comply with its own rules and legal requirements on disclosing sellers and sale records, allowing “shill bidding”, and both concealing and then publically lying about the core sellers of horses being involved in the auction company’s operations.
NW Horse Report also obtained public records from a State agency that corroborated the claims that a notorious horse trader and self-described “kill buyer”, Don Nowlin, was involved, despite claims by the company’s listed owner Tommie Reevs that he was “not involved”.
PNW Horse Sales also had reportedly been running afoul of state and federal labor practices, including not having workers’ compensation coverage despite clear evidence of numerous workers in pictures and video from buyers. Some of the apparent workers allegedly included minors, but officials with Oregon’s Bureau of Labor & Industry (BOLI) confirmed last week the company did not have a certificate to employ any minors.
The company appeared to deflect the labor allegations involving workers’ compensation insurance and hiring minors by claiming it was registered with the Oregon Secretary of State, but this was only the company’s basic incorporation.
Further attention to the company came after officials became aggressive with Equestrian Media Group’s managing editor on Saturday outside its leased sale barn at the Oregon State Fairgrounds– an altercation caught on audio and video.
Shortly after the incident over the weekend, the company and several of its regular sellers and “officials” began removing past horse sale ads from social media. PNW Horse Sales also removed the past auction history from its page on the popular bidding site HiBid.
Multiple sources told NW Horse Report that they were having trouble getting the company to provide information on the sellers, despite an Oregon law that requires the company to keep and provide such records to the Oregon Department of Agriculture and buyers.
It was revealed that the auctioneer, who goes by the alias John Henry, had been charged with stealing over a dozen horses in multiple Louisiana parishes in 2018. Henry’s real name is reportedly Jonramon Hatfield Vaughns, 35, previously from Port Allen, Louisiana. Vaughns (Henry) contacted our newsroom by phone late Wednesday after being tipped off to NW Horse Report’s inquiries seeking to confirm that Vaughns and Henry were indeed the same person.
Vaughn (Henry) confirmed to NW Horse Report that the information was accurate, but said he’s always gone by John Henry the majority of his life when asked if he adopted the alias following his past criminal troubles.
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Livestock Brand Commission charged Vaughns (Henry) in September 2018 for stealing 15 horses.
According to the LDAF, the warrants stemmed from two separate complaints filed with the Livestock Brand Commission in two separate parishes (a state term used in lieu of county).
Vaughns (Henry) claimed that instead of receiving a conviction, a “civil compromise” was reached that involved him paying restitution to his victims, but NW Horse Report is still investigating that claim. Vaughns also said that he was working as a contractor of PNW Horse Sales, as he could not obtain his own “dealers license”.
He also stated he could only do livestock auctions. NW Horse Report was not immediately able to confirm if Vaughns’ involvement as the auctioneer, as well as an alleged seller, would have been prohibited due to his past criminal history.
Vaughns (Henry) also had a felony check fraud charge from 2018 in the State of Missouri, but it was unknown if the charge was related to equine activity or sales.
A source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear for their safety, also said that Vaughns (Henry) has already had similar issues in recent years involving acting as an agent on behalf of sellers in Washington and Oregon while reporting himself as the owner of horses to the actual auction companies.
Vaughns (Henry) was also alleged by numerous sources, as well as by countless posters on social media, to be in a relationship with the owner of 4K Ranch, Kristina Jones, the same self-admitted clerk for PNW Horse Sales.
Jones was identified as the woman whom NW Horse Report previously reported attempted to take our camera during the previous altercation with us.
However, Vaughns (Henry) said that Jones was a past girlfriend and that he was now engaged to another woman, claiming he only continues to work with Jones professionally by riding her horses.
4K Ranch was a company used by Jones to sell horses through multiple auctions, including PNW Horse Sales while she worked as the auctions clerk. NW Horse Report previously obtained records provided in a previous story showing horses being sent to the auction sale by 4K Ranch.
“I have been working my ass off to repay my past debts,” Vaughns said while going on at length about how he had been working hard to not run afoul of the law in recent years.
Vaughns also admitted that he was asked by Nowlin, not Reevs, to be the auctioneer for PNW Horse Sales.
He went on during his conversation to offer to “help [us]” in exchange for not reporting on the link between his alias, John Henry, and his identity as Vaughns.
“Before you make your post, I want you to think about something for a couple of days, okay?… Do this for me, like I said, there are ways I can help you with the other stuff you have going on.” Vaughns said.
“If you leave me out of it, I will gather information and help you– but that stays between you and me.”
NW Horse Report declined the offer citing journalistic ethics standards to Vaughns.
The Facebook page for PNW Horse Sales was deleted hours after Reevs posted its closure announcement where it placed significant blame on NW Horse Report for the closure.
“Thanks to NW Horse Report sinking its claws into myself and everyone around this sale [sic] we are sad to say that the Sept sale was our last sale,” the announcement read in part.
“All checks from the Sept 9th sale were mailed out Wed, Sept 13th, 2023. If you have any issues with checks please contact me.”
Anyone who believes they have been the victim of a crime or may have first-hand information regarding unfair trade practices involving the horse sale auction can file complaints with the Oregon Department of Agriculture or the Oregon State Police.
Reevs and the company had also questioned in a since-deleted posting if Equestrian Media Group had a reporters’ “license”, a chilling implication considering the work of journalists across the United States has always been one of the most central rights protected by the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution.
The idea that the government could control the media through any sort of licensure would be a drastic departure from American values and the role of a free press in preserving our democracy. Fortunately, well-established case law prohibits such a practice. Such a requirement is the sort of thing seen in authoritarian governments.
Equestrian Media Group’s reporters are part of the Society of Professional Journalists and adhere to SPJ Ethics standards. SPJ is the nation’s most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior.
Merced, Calif. – A man in Merced, California was caught by California Highway Patrol officers while riding his horse and being under the influence of alcohol.
CHP stated that officers spotted the man taking his horse out for a ride with an open container.
After the man spoke with the CHP officers, it was determined that the man on horseback was under the influence of alcohol and was subsequently arrested for DUI.
CHP said it’s not worth riding– or driving– under the influence.
“It’s worth noting that, according to California Vehicle Code 21050, the rules of the road apply to those operating animals on the highway,” said CHP.
Another California man, from Santa Cruz, was arrested for public intoxication while riding his horse according to a 2019 story from the New York Post. CBS News also covered another incident from 2018, also involving a man in California.
Salem, Ore. – An Oregon horse auction company facing growing allegations of illegal auction and unfair trade practices appeared to have removed all past auction history from its online auction site pages.
The company, PNW Horse Sales, maintained an online listing page with the popular auction site HiBid that would also show the history of all past “lots” that had been put through auction, a standard practice for most auction companies in order to assure transparency.
After initial publication, it was also discovered that ads for horses that dominated the company’s Facebook page had also been deleted.
PNW Horse Sales received increasing attention and consumers coming forward about issues over the last week after Geneva Boston– who previously was heavily involved in the company– was arrested for aggravated animal abuse in connection with a now-viral video of her aggressively whipping a horse.
The scrubbing of info is further increasing speculations of ongoing efforts by the company and affiliates to cover its tracks in light of growing allegations of numerous misdealings by the company. The allegations include concealing and then later making false public statements denying the involvement of a notorious and self-described horse “kill buyer”, Donald Nowlin.
Several sources also claimed to NW Horse Report that other sellers involved with the sale had been removing a long list of past ads for horses on social media.
Last week, NW Horse Report reported on the allegations that Nowlin was, in fact, an owner of the company despite a public statement by the company’s listed owner, Tommie Reevs, denying any such involvement in order to deceive potential buyers.
Among the other allegations against the company included company officials and sellers engaging in “shill bidding”, both in-person as well as via HiBid.
NW Horse Report received a tip early Tuesday morning that the company had allegedly scrubbed the information just days after the company’s officials had an altercation with Equestrian Media Group’s managing editor on Saturday, resulting in the questionable trespass of a journalist from the entire publically accessible fairgrounds, based only on unfounded claims of “disturbing the peace” made by Don Nowlin.
A screenshot of the current Past Auctions page for PNW Horse Sales was taken Tuesday afternoon. The company recently removed all past history from its HiBid auction page following growing allegations on social media by buyers and other critics, as well as threats against Equestrian Media Group’s managing editor.
NW Horse Report also recently obtained records on Tuesday that appear to reveal that Nowlin is also operating an illegal Washington State business called Bar 4 Ranch, which according to the documents is located at 1530 Maplegrove Rd in Sunnyside, Washington.
There were similar business names to Bar 4 Ranch, but none of them appeared to be tied to Nowlin or the Sunnyside area. That included this document showing an inspection date of September 5th showing the shipment of 7 horses to the Oregon State Fairgrounds.
However, a Washington State Livestock Brand Book did list a brand under “Bar 4 Ranch” for Don Nowlin and Hanna Keyes.
The company is not registered with the Washington State Corporations Division or the Washington Department of Revenue. Nowlin is instead the listed owner for Outwest Livestock Transportation, LLC which is listed as “dissolved”, but it was unclear if Nowlin is still operating under that company.
The use of the company name “Bar 4 Ranch” appears to allow Nowlin to conceal his involvement as the Washington State Department of Agriculture, Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), which listed Bar 4 Ranch as the owner/consignee, was issued by Dr. Kalie Mercer.
When reached for comment earlier Tuesday about the issuance of CVI’s under the bogus business Mercer said, “I’m not interested in commenting on any of this. Thank you though.”
Washington State’s Veterinarian Dr. Amber Itle, the State Veterinarian for Washington State, told NW Horse Report that veterinarians often rely on the information presented by owners and consignees about a horse when issuing a CVI.
“The veterinarians do the best they can to provide the most accurate information they are provided. We really do rely on the integrity of producers to tell the truth, it’s a legal document,” said Itle.
“Veterinans work under high integrity and are going to put the information on the document that they are provided, but I have one-hundred percent faith that veterans are doing the right thing, or trying to.”
Itle confirmed that verifying that a business name is registered when being used in lieu of an individual’s name is not a specific requirement, reaffirming that the veterinarian’s client would be the one providing false information for the legal document. Itle’s comment was made speaking generally and not specifically about Nowlin’s Bar 4 Ranch.
Veterinarians must be accredited in order to submit CVI’s.
After the weekend altercation, it was discovered that PNW Horse Sales appears to be concealing that numerous sellers were indeed also “officials” involved in the operation of the auction itself, allegedly including its auctioneer.
Another company official and seller, Kristina Jones, who owns 4K Ranch in Roseburg, made repeated advances during the Saturday altercation by attempting to take our editor’s camera and repeatedly demanding the camera’s SD card.
Jones later admitted in a since-deleted Facebook post that she was also a “clerk” for the auction, as well as claiming that our editor was being “creepy” and taking photos of their children.
Oregon State Police later explained that taking photographs in public did not require any consent and there was no expectation of privacy, including of children.
NW Horse Report will soon be releasing all of the photos taken throughout the encounter. Those records will show that any minors pictured were incidental within the photos and only pictured in a few. The majority of the photographs were of Nowlin.
We believe Jones’ since-deleted statement was simply meant to be inflammatory, if not a defense of her actions which this publication categorically believes is unacceptable, especially towards a known journalist in public.
Jones also alleged that NW Horse Report falsely reported that she did assault our editor, but our past reporting and the video from the incident are clear that it was only an attempted assault. Although, according to one legal expert and criminal law attorney, Jones’ actions may have been considered disorderly conduct under ORS 166.025, and potentially menacing under ORS 163.190.
Equestrian Media Group’s managing editor, Justin Alderman, stated, “I should be clear that the Oregon State Police troopers were nothing but professional in addressing the situation, and their role in the matter was perfectly understood. I commend the troopers.”
“They also were quick to make clear that there was nothing illegal about taking photos in a public area and there was no such expectation of privacy– a fundamental element of free press protected by our 1st Amendment,” said Alderman.
Officials with PNW Horse Sales started an aggressive altercation on September 9th with Equestrian Media Group’s managing editor. Pictured is alleged co-owner Don Nowlin (right) and listed owner Tommie Reevs (center). (Photo Credit – NW Horse Report)
Evidence and witnesses have also claimed children have been involved in working at the sale, including riding horses in the ring. Officials with Oregon’s Bureau of Labor & Industries (BOLI) confirmed on Friday that the company did not have the legal certificate required for minor workers.
According to HiBid officials who spoke to NW Horse Report, the removal of the past auction information was performed by the company, not HidBid.
“That’s at the auctioneer’s discretion,” said the official. “We wouldn’t remove anything.”
The official stated they had not yet received any consumer complaints about PNW Horse Sales, but stated the company’s account was only opened in April.
HiBid did however confirm that it still would maintain all the records from the past auctions and that all activity on the site was logged, confirming the company could not scrub such records permanently. The official went on to say they would share the information if requested by any law enforcement agency.
“If it came them (law enforcement), then yes.” said the HiBid official.
In addition to filling complaints with law enforcement, HiBid said that consumers with any complaints or concerns about any auctioneer can contact their customer support by phone at (844) 775-4774 or by emailing support@auctionflex.com
NW Horse Report is currently combing through a pile of records, including import permits, certificates of veterinary inspection, and EIA testing records. The records from the Oregon Department of Agriculture that appear to be tied to PNW Horse Sales are provided here for our readers.
It was also confirmed that certificates of veterinary inspection submitted electronically through a State-approved system do not require a separate import permit.
Anyone who believes they have been the victim of any scam or fraudulent activity at the Oregon State Fairgrounds can reach OSP by dialing *OSP or *677 if calling from a mobile phone. Otherwise, you can dial (800) 442-0776.
This is a developing story that you can count on us to keep you updated on. If you have a news tip or any information related to this story, please be sure to contact us!
A more formal story in addition to this prompt statement will be published in the coming days. Due to the sudden attention and false rumor that our editor was arrested, we wanted to ensure this statement was made.
Salem, Ore. – Our managing editor was “trespassed” from a publicly accessible area of the Oregon State Fairgrounds after formally (and politely) being asked to leave by Oregon State Police, despite claims by PNW Horse Sales “officials” that he would be arrested during an altercation.
The incident later involved an official with PNW Horse Sales attempting an assault in order to take our editor’s camera, part of which was caught on video.
We were attempting to take photos and observe in an open and transparent manner outside of any buildings that were reportedly leased to PNW Horse Sales. This was being done without approaching anyone or causing any disturbance, and audio and video recordings throughout the duration of the encounter will support this.
Our editor was promptly approached by Don Nowlin, who the company had maintained was “not involved” in the operations of the business itself. Nowlin claimed on a recording by our editor that he was “in charge” and demanded he leave the fairgrounds, which our editor argued he did not need to do, as Nowlin wasn’t willing to directly confirm he was an official with PNW Horse Sales.
Our editor attempted to de-escalate a situation that was rapidly escalated by Nowlin, leaving the area outside the reportedly leased buildings at the Oregon State Fairgrounds where there was some activity. Tommie Reevs, the listed company owner, had also attempted to de-escalate and restrain Nowlin, albeit unsuccessfully.
Nowlin and another unknown “official” continued to follow our editor even further away through the fairground’s publicly accessible areas and were physically close. The originally unnamed official, who was quickly identified as Kristina Jones, attempted to physically assault our editor in order to take his camera, leading to our editor recording a portion of the encounter immediately after, where Jones continued to rapidly advance on him.
Jones repeatedly demanded the “SD card” from the camera, at one time claiming he would be arrested if he did not comply.
A photo taken by our editor showing Kristina Jones, an “official” with PNW Horse Sales’ who attempted to physically assault and take a camera after claiming public photographs without consent was illegal. The person said our editor would be “arrested” if he did not comply. Jones was originally reported as someone who was a seller, but new revelations appear to show that the auction is essentially operated by the primary regular horse traders who sell at the auction. (Photo Credit – NW Horse Report)
Our editor was also not at the location engaged in any “activism”, despite the recording of numerous claims by PNW Horse Sales officials that our editor (and us) are animal rights activists.
Our managing editor, Justin Alderman stated, “I should be clear that the Oregon State Police troopers were nothing but professional in addressing the situation, and their role in the matter was perfectly understood. I commend the troopers.”
“They also were quick to make clear that there was nothing illegal about taking photos in a public area and there was no such expectation of privacy– a fundamental element of free press protected by our 1st Amendment,” said Alderman.
NW Horse Report is also starting to receive information about others being “trespassed” by the auction earlier this evening, and even more allegations about the company’s operations, including that it appears the primary sellers are all involved in also running the company’s operation, raising even more questions.
Numerous online posters were also alleging that they were specifically kicked off while making bids by the company.
A more formal story will follow in the coming days as our editor is still en route home, but due to the rapidly growing attention to this matter, we wanted to ensure our readers were aware of the situation and that our editor was indeed not arrested and thankfully not physically harmed. Significant effort and time resources were put into what was expected to be a quick task, as we had no intention of going inside the public auction.
It is the policy of Equestrian Media Group for all of our reporters to act in a professional and respectful manner. Unfortunately, these are the types of hard situations any reporter can suddenly find themselves in within small elements of the equestrian (and other) industry that are often not accustomed to investigative reporting; resorting to bullying, intimidation, and sometimes even physical assault.
Salem, Ore. – Following months of investigation by NW Horse Report into a new Oregon horse auction company, numerous allegations as well as corroborating public records were uncovered that the company was intentionally misleading customers by concealing and then later denying the involvement of a well-known and self-described horse “kill buyer”.
The denial was part of a public statement made on Facebook. It was also uncovered that PNW Horse Sales was not a USDA-licensed stockyard under the federal Packers & Stockyards Act, though it was obtaining a one-day horse sale license each month from the Oregon Dept. of Agriculture.
Documents obtained from a public records request by NW Horse Report with the Oregon Department of Agriculture appeared to corroborate the growing allegations that Donald Nowlin, a self-described horse kill buyer of Washington State, is likely a co-owner or manager of PNW Horse Sales.
This included a US Department of Agriculture Surety Bond issued to PNW Horse Sales that showed a Washington State address in the city of Selah that property records showed as being owned by Nowlin– not the Roseburg address as seen on other company documents.
A copy of the record was provided to NW Horse Report by the ODA. NW Horse Report redacted the street from the address. NW Horse Report confirmed the property showed a last name ownership of “Nowlin”.
NW Horse Report also uncovered further shocking information, including a leaked recorded phone call recording that included Nowlin.
That recording contained statements by Nowlin saying he was also the original individual to whom Geneva Boston sent the self-recorded and now viral abuse video many months ago– a video that led to Boston’s arrest on felony aggravated animal abuse charges earlier this week.
Based on Nowlin’s statements, it seemed clear he had no intention of Boston’s abuse video going public or ending up in law enforcement possession.
The other caller on the recording with Nowlin was not the individual who originally recorded and leaked the material to NW Horse Report, but the other speaker, who spoke to us only on the condition of anonymity, did directly confirm to NW Horse Report that they were aware of the recording made by the person was in the room with them.
Nowlin and Boston were both the subject of an investigative story by NW Horse Report in late 2021 involving a scheme to defraud a young equestrian during a trial period with a horse– going so far as to falsely claim the horse died to both the woman as well as to law enforcement officers.
Prior to reporting from NW Horse Report, Nowlin himself faced scrutiny related to criminal history in Washington State as well as a high-profile civil lawsuit involving a horse named Brad Pitt. An advocacy group maintains a Facebook page that has continued to keep updates as the case has continued for 6 years. An earlier ruling against Nowlin was handed down in arbitration, but Nowlin chose not to accept that outcome.
Based on the recorded phone call just obtained from earlier this week, Nowlin now appears to be distancing himself from Boston as well.
“You can call me all the names in the book; I mean you can call me kill buyer, meat buyer, whatever, horse killer, whatever; but there’s one thing I’ll never do, I’ll never beat a horse like that,” said Nowlin, while referencing the video of Boston.
The now-viral video was later obtained by Serenity Douglas who had originally provided the video to NW Horse Report just prior to leaking it online. Douglas was originally provided anonymity as the leaker until KPTV-Fox12 reached out to NW Horse Report on Thursday asking if our source would speak publically, to which Douglas agreed. KPTV-Fox12’s coverage can be viewed here.
PNW Horse Sales and its listed owner, Tommie Reeves, were also facing renewed attention in recent days after Boston’s video went viral. Sources claimed Boston was a one-time friend and business acquaintance of both Reeves and Nowlin.
Numerous sources and online posters also revealed that Boston was heavily involved with PNW Horse Sales and likely working with the auction “unofficially”, including riding several sale horses during the auction that didn’t belong to her, including horses belonging to Nowlin and other sellers.
One such poster who claimed publically that Nowlin was behind the sale included Jessica Parker, who is reported to be a now former friend of Boston.
“I would steer clear of PNW Sales Auction then as well since it is [Nowlin] that actually runs it.” claimed a Bette Shellhorn.
“[Nowlin] isn’t stupid and unfortunately covers his tracks well. All his associates end up getting blamed for his actions.”
NW Horse Report later learned that the profile Bette Shellhorn was highly suspected to be a fake Facebook profile used by Boston.
Another proponent, Sarah Brown, referred to PNW Horse Sales as “ELA Reloaded”, going on to claim the company was “…feeling some backlash after the Geneva Boston video. In fact, they tend to get backlash every time there is a neglect or abuse case that surfaces. The reality is, each time there is outrage in our horse community, it is tied to our local auction. Every single time.”
However, until recently, other proponents in support of the new auction company had pointed to improvements over issues long reported at the ELA.
Boston also reportedly provided interstate horse transport for Nowlin to both the past ELA and the new PNW Horse Sale auctions, a service that Nowlin had previously advertised publically online. Others claimed Boston also offered hauling services, although it did not appear to have any licensing with the US DOT or FMCSA.
PNW Horse Sales started to distance itself from Boston on Thursday following the arrest announcement by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. The company maintained yesterday on Facebook, without mentioning Boston by name, that Boston had only “sold animals” through the company’s auctions.
Posts made by users to the PNW Horse Sales’ Facebook page regarding the incident and with questions of Boston’s ties to the company were swiftly removed, according to several online users, followed by a statement from the company that said in part:
“PNW Horse Sales will not allow any slanderous remarks or harassment. This page is for advertising horses that will be sold at the next Auction only!”
Some then alleged the post by the company appeared to be indirectly defending Boston by inferring that shared news stories were false and defamatory.
In May, NW Horse Report first reported numerous concerns that were first raised in March concerning the business, including problems with its claims that it would be holding a horse sale at the Linn County Expo Center– despite county officials later confirming the company never had a contract in place.
It also appeared that the Oregon Dept. of Agriculture violated Oregon law and raised questions of special favor for the new company, ignoring a clear statute that indicated applicants for a one-day horse sale license “shall” submit their application no less than 30 days prior to the sale.
“Clear legal precedence has repeatedly found that the word ‘shall’, especially in the context of the law, means that it imposes a duty upon a party and is a mandatory word. This leaves little room for the ODA or businesses to circumvent this requirement,” according to a now-retired Oregon judge who spoke on the condition of anonymity with NW Horse Report in May.
The agency argued that it interpreted the requirement as applying to the submitted entity, not the department, but the retired judge said such an interpretation would likely be a major precedence.
PNW Horse Sales was also not a business registered in Oregon or elsewhere, a discovery numerous early critics pointed out in posts since deleted by the company on its Facebook page.
Shortly after the public criticism, the company registered with the State of Oregon but only reported Reevs as an owner or manager of the business on the formation document that was submitted and electronically signed by her on May 3rd, 2023. A 2018 law passed by the Oregon legislature also required that those submitting business registration documents must also attest under the penalty of perjury to the accuracy of the information. Specifically, it includes a declaration saying:
“I declare, under penalty of perjury, that this document does not fraudulently conceal, fraudulently obscure, fraudulently alter or otherwise misrepresent the identity of the person or any officers, managers, members or agents of the limited liability company on behalf of which the person signs. This filing has been examined by me and is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, true, correct, and complete. Making false statements in this document is against the law and may be penalized by fines, imprisonment, or both.”
The company also did not appear to have workers’ compensation coverage, despite numerous witnesses who have participated or purchased horses in the auction witnessing Nowlin and others helping run the operation, including calling out bidders, riding horses, and more. A minor of one worker was also allegedly witnessed working during the auction.
An official with Oregon BOLI confirmed that PNW Horse Sales did not have a minor exemption certificate.
The same witnesses reported that many of the workers were also horse traders making up the majority of the owners of the sale horses, raising serious questions of conflicts of interest with auction requirements.
Since the trouble in securing the facilities at the Linn County Fairgrounds, the company was able to secure facilities with the Oregon State Fairgrounds nearly every month.
Public records obtained from the Oregon State Fair also showed the company had issues making some of its initial deposits and payment deadlines indicated on the documents.
Only a single payment under $382.50 was all that had been made days after the first sale event.
On May 23rd, 10 days following the end of the first event, Oregon State Fair & Expo CEO Kim Grewe-Powell confirmed to NW Horse Report that the $382.50 was all that was paid. “Yes, this is the only payment we have received thus far.”
It was unclear why the Oregon State Fair Council was extending the company extensive courtesy with deferred payments on deposit and payment deadlines, including post-event.
PNW Horse Sales started in response to the Eugene Livestock Auction (ELA) ceasing its monthly horse sale. Numerous proponents claim that PNW Horse Sales is a defacto replacement of ELA which proponents alleged had been plagued by repeated issues of transparency and false advertisements by the actual sellers for years.
“I expect all buyers to be there and represent their horses. This is NOT a drop and dump your horse type situation. All sellers information will be posted and you can talk directly to the seller about the horse you are interested in.” said Reevs prior to their first sale event.
Despite PNW Horse Sales’ previous statements that horse seller information would be made available, a practice long under scrutiny with the ELA– many are reporting the company is failing to live up to its promises.
Douglas, also claimed she felt defrauded by PNW Horse Sales due to misrepresentations of numerous horse that was actually owned by Nowlin. She also stated that Nowlin was the individual to whom buyers would take their payment receipts at the horse barn in order to retrieve a horse bought at auction.
During the company’s very first sale, a horse named Woody was sold to Douglas for $13,000, which the company advertised as its highest-selling horse. She claimed it was highly suspected that the horse was drugged in the sale. Douglas also said she was not originally aware the horse’s owner was actually Nowlin.
Douglas also bought a horse named Duke from a PNW Horse Sale auction for approximately $3,400, a horse that was also allegedly owned by Nowlin, which Douglas said they soon found out had severe ringbone that she claims was concealed. After consultation with their veterinarian, she said Duke ultimately had to be euthanized weeks later.
Douglas also stated she believed the auction had secret buyers who were up bidding horses, and that the auctioneer would waive their bids, “They’d waive a bid after someone would say ‘hey, nevermind’, and that person would get out of it, it was suspicious.”
Such a practice is criminal under both State and federal law, and is commonly referred to as “shill bidding”.
As to a question about Nowlin’s alleged role in the company, Douglas said it was absolutely clear he was not just a seller as the company has tried to maintain.
A confidential source, who spoke to NW Horse Report only on the condition of anonymity due to a concern for their safety, said that Nowlin even proclaimed he owned the company.
“I know for a fact that he owns it, [Nowlin] has said so to me and others before,” they said.
“He even said Tommie (Reevs) is just the face of the company,”
The source also provided a statement to NW Horse Report alleging that Boston had previously engaged in the practice of shill bidding her own horses put into the now defunct monthly Eugene Livestock Auction, through an online site called HiBid. The site is a popular online bidding site that is fairly anonymous to other bidders and was used by ELA and is now used by PNW Horse Sales.
NW Horse Report obtained a portion of a message between our source and Boston from February 2021 that appears to confirm that Boston was actively bidding on her own horse. The screengrab of a message sent by Boston to an unnamed source even shows that she was “outbid”.
A screengrab from messages sent by Geneva Boston that appear to support allegations of shill bidding by Boston with her own horses.
However, the source was not aware if Boston or others had engaged in the practice through HiBid since moving to the monthly auction at PNW Horse Sales from ELA.
According to HiBid’s own terms, “Any deliberate attempt to artificially influence the sale price of any Listed Item(s), directly or indirectly, including but not limited to bidding through a secondary account, agent, or representative, bidding on Listed Item(s) that you may also be selling, communicating with other Bidders, or shill bidding is expressly prohibited.
Kim Mosiman, Executive Director of 501(c)(3) non-profit Sound Equine Options, was one of the individuals to question the company after being skeptical of several claims Reevs made publically in advertisements.
Reevs responded to Mosiman and others, publically denying that Nowlin was involved in the auction in any way while also being cagey about her alleged friendship with Nowlin.
“He is not involved. Like I said in my introduction. I’ve been in the auction world for the last 10 years so I know most of the others involved in that world.” said Reevs.
On April 28th, Sydnee Gehrig of SG Livestock Designs posted on Facebook tagging Nowlin publically and saying, “Don Nowlin thank you for always trusting me and allow me to be creative. What do you guys think of this design?”
An online post from a company conflicted with statements by PNW Horse Sales denying that Don Nowlin was involved in the company’s operations.
The post then went on to say, “Auction block banner design for Pacific Northwest Horse Sales” and then presented an image.
Another similar post on August 18th by Gehrig was made saying, “
“PNW horse sales September ad design”,”Don Nowlin thank you for allowing me to be creative”, above an attached image promoting the September 9th sale.
In recent days, numerous online posters have further alleged their knowledge of Nowlin being an owner in the auction business in discussions involving Boston’s viral video, leading many with experience with both Boston, Nowlin, and PNW Horse Sales to speak out.
In the recorded phone call recently leaked to NW Horse Report, the other caller mentioned to Nowlin that countless people were also now saying that he was the owner of PNW Horse Sales. “Weird, it’s just people that don’t know shit… If I do, I do. If I don’t, I don’t.” Nowlin replied.
Nowlin implied on the call earlier this week that posts should be flagged, apparently in an effort to stifle the growing public attention to the allegations against Boston, “I think some guy needs to start flagging those posts and not let them get out of hand, somebody said that one of them already has a case number on it.”
Many posts by Monday began sharing the police case number that was generated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) for its investigation into Boston’s alleged horse abuse. MCSO reportedly received many calls starting Monday from those demanding action.
On the call, Nowlin also had choice words for the leaker, who Nowlin may not have known was actually Douglas, “What needs to happen is somebody needs to track down the leak[er] and have a couple undocumented mexicans give them a visit.”
The other person, sounding uncomfortable, then says, “That’s probably a little extreme, don’t you think?” to which Nowlin replies, “Not in my world, that’s how we play.”
Nowlin then stated, “[unintelligable].. taking you out to the horse chute, put you in missionary style, and shoot you in the back of the head.”
“What I’m trying to say is that nothing was intended for somebody to carry it that far, to get anybody in trouble, right? That video wasn’t sent to anybody to get anybody in trouble, that video was sent to somebody to say ‘hey, shut the f**k up and sit down, you know, back up, you know what I mean? I never sent that video to anybody that I thought would ever send it..” said Nowlin, before saying something else that was unintelligible.
He then mentioned that if he wanted to get Boston in trouble, “If that was the case I know exactly where to send it, she would have been tried a long time ago.”
NW Horse Report reached out months ago to PNW Horse Sales, only for Reevs to immediately end the conversation, “Okay, I want nothing to do with you. You have caused a lot of problems for me already, please do not call me again,” said Reevs before promptly hanging up.
As Reevs had demanded we not contract her again by phone, we reached out by email Thursday and directly asked Reevs about the involvement of Boston and Nowlin in the business, specifically informing her of the numerous and growing allegations of Nowlin’s involvement and the document obtained from public records.
Reevs explained she was busy but was happy to speak on Monday morning following the scheduled auction for September 9th, expecting NW Horse Report to hold its story until after
“Like I said, it’s sale weekend so I don’t have time to sit down and type out a statement but I’d love to talk to you Monday morning if you’re free! There’s a lot of speculation here that I’d like to clear up especially [sic] on the Geneva (Boston) front! I’ll gladly set some time aside Monday to answer any questions you have, including why Geneva Boston is banned from my sale.”
Reevs response did not address questions of Nowlin’s involvement. We then informed Reevs we would not be holding the story until Monday and clearly asked, “Is Don Nowlin an owner in the company or been involved in management in any way?”
Reevs responded by saying, “You are more than welcome to talk to my attorney if you would like and if there is any false allegations they will be reviewed.”
We again responded and asked if Reevs was denying the publically growing allegations of Nowlin’s involvement in the management or defacto ownership of the company, but received no further response.
Oregon State Fair’s admitted non-compliance with Oregon Public Records law
NW Horse Report also ran into additional roadblocks with the Oregon State Fair Council (OSFC) when attempting a minor expansion to its original records request involving PNW Horse Sales, specifically a request for a single hour of phone log records.
OSFC then demanded a fee based on their estimate of $600, based on what they claimed was 8 hours of work at an arbitrary $75 an hour. NW Horse Report directly contested and called into question the extortionate fee estimate, especially considering such records would ordinarily be able to be generated within minutes in nearly all modern business phone systems.
OSFC had waived all fees in NW Horse Report’s original and much more expansive original request after articulating a clear public interest and benefit test. OSFC’s initial responses did not even address the fee waiver or reduction in response to the expanded request.
After OSFC admitted it used Comcast Business Phone, NW Horse Report provided direct links to instructions from Comcast’s Business Phone support documentation that was available online, which cast serious doubts on the estimates made by OSFC.
The agency then reduced the fee estimate to 3 hours, but still at the $75 per hour rate. NW Horse Report then also called into question that estimate, along with what appeared to be an arbitrary $75 hourly rate.
OSFC also then attempted to claim in their response that Comcast had removed a feature allowing the use of a simple tool to export phone logs, a claim promptly challenged by NW Horse Report.
“We have reverified with Comcast Business Enterprise today, and although you mention things it will do or we can access, it is not available in their portal any more. [sic]”
NW Horse Report then responded by stating that the sudden estimate change in itself from 8 hours to 3 hours of work, “…seriously calls into question your body’s steps to estimate the costs involved.”
NW Horse Report went on to demand a copy of its required public records policy: “…pursuant to ORS 192.324(7) that [OSFC] immediately provide a copy of your written procedure for making public records request outlined therein. If this document does not currently exist simply advise of that.”
OSFC was then asked for a copy of their Public Records Request policy which is required by Oregon law. The policy is supposed to articulate how the agency makes fee calculations under the Oregon Public Records Law, and agencies are ultimately only able to recover reasonable and actual costs of producing records.
NW Horse Report believed it to be highly unlikely that the compiling of such records would require an employee who made $75 an hour.
As an example, the Oregon Dept. of Agriculture (ODA) promptly provided phone log records as part of a request from NW Horse Report without any fees.
OSFC was unable to provide a copy of its policy, as NW Horse Report later learned it did not even exist. OSFC then ignored NW Horse Report for a week despite multiple follow-ups, until NW Horse Report stated it intended to appeal the unreasonable delay and failure to provide its policy to the Oregon Attorney General.
Just over an hour after signaling the appeal, an attorney with Garrett Hemann Robertson PC, a Salem-based law firm that frequently represents government entities in Oregon, emailed NW Horse Report stating that it was providing legal counsel for the OSFC.
The attorney stated their client would be waive fees for the phone log request, and that they were working with Comcast Business to obtain the records.
NW Horse Report continued to challenge claims communicated by OSFC through its attorney, who repeatedly placed blame on delays with Comcast support, despite repeatedly being pointed to documentation showing how an OSFC user with appropriate permission could provide the necessary file export within a matter of minutes.
After two weeks of back-and-forth communications with OSFC’s attorney, NW Horse Report received no reply to a clearly outlined instruction showing how the agency could access Call Detail Records within the Comcast Business Phone system.
After having no response for two weeks, NW Horse Report again outlined its intent to appeal what appeared to be a defacto denial of its request through repeated delay, resulting in a prompt response by the attorney in producing the requested records.
The attorney for OSFC eventually admitted in an August 9th email to NW Horse Report that the agency did not yet have the policy required by Oregon Public Records law.
Additional efforts to obtain records are ongoing. If you wish to support our efforts to not only obtain public records but also battle some exorbitant fees often faced by investigative reporters, you can donate here.
Round Rock, Texas – A sudden announcement by the Mustang Heritage Foundation confirmed that the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has decided to end its partnership, effectively ending its Trainer Incentive Program (TIP).
“I am heartbroken to announce that the Bureau of Land Management has decided not to renew the partnership with the Mustang Heritage Foundation for the fiscal year 2024. Due to this decision, MHF No longer has the finding or access to animals needed to successfully run the Trainer Incentive Program,” said Cary Scholtes, Interim Executive Director of Mustang Heritage Foundation.
Approved TIP trainers gentle and halter train a Bureau of Land Management-branded wild horse or burro, then market and find a new home for the animal. Once a home is approved by BLM the TIP trainer is reimbursed for their training and marketing services.
“Since taking over the TIP Program two years ago, I have met some incredible trainers and mustangs across the country,” said Scholtes
“The TIP Program has met some truly amazing goals such as playing 3,503 mustangs and burros and paying out $3,709,312 directly to TIP Trainers and Storefronts in fiscal year 2022. So far this year we have had an all-time- record-breaking month placing 566 animals in March of 2023, and set a new placement record of 290 for the month of August.”
The statement went on to say that any animals under the care of trainers must be placed into private care no later than September 30th.
Laura Bannan of LaGrand said she was “shell shocked” by the announcement.
“We’ve been working hard toward becoming successful TIP Trainers and helping mustangs find their way into a successful domestic life– this news is a blow,”
It was not immediately clear if the closure of TIP could lead to the MHF being dissolved.
The BLM Press Office in Washington D.C. could not be reached prior to press time for comment as it was already after-hours. A call was also made with MHF but we have yet to hear back.
Bozeman, Mont. – The Montana 4-HWorking Ranch Horse Project will hold a competition at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, at the 406 Arena, 200 U.S. Hwy 89, in Vaughn. Spectators are welcome.
The Montana 4-H Working Ranch Horse Project teaches youth traditional skills and practices of safe livestock handling and low-stress cattle handling from horseback. Participants use horses for handling, sorting, and moving cattle and learn mounted roping skills as a livestock handling tool. They also learn about branding techniques and about housing and care of cattle and horses.
Competitors will complete a knowledge test, as well as exhibit riding in a pattern, sorting cattle, roping, and heading.. As with all 4-H projects, participating youth are expected to develop the qualities of leadership and responsibility that come with being engaged in 4-H.
Montana 4-H is part of MSU Extension, a statewide educational outreach network housed at Montana State University that applies unbiased, research-based university resources to practical needs identified by Montanans in their home communities. It has offices serving all 56 Montana counties and five Indian reservations in the state.
For questions about the Montana 4-H Working Ranch Horse competition, contact Lisa Jassen at 406-781-3678 or ljassen77@gmail.com.
Updated at 12:20am on 9/6 to include updated details concerning Boston’s release by the jail that conflicted with booking information online that indicated she was being held without bail.
Salem, Ore. – The Oregon horse trainer who went viral over the Labor Day weekend has been arrested by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office on one count of aggravated animal abuse, a felony. The information was confirmed late Tuesday by NW Horse Report with Marion County Jail officials and an online booking roster.
Our earlier story told first by NW Horse Report can be viewed by clicking here. The story has gained national attention throughout equestrian circles on social media.
The news comes two days after a shocking video leaked online that showed Geneva Marie Boston, 28, whipping a horse repeatedly across the back and in the face. Boston appeared to also repeatedly jerk on a lead line attached to an iron halter used on the horse.
According to Oregon Revised Statute 167.322 (Aggravated animal abuse in the first degree), “A person commits the crime of aggravated animal abuse in the first degree if the person maliciously kills an animal or intentionally or knowingly tortures an animal.”
The charge is a Class C felony according to Oregon law.
The statute also articulates that “Maliciously” means intentionally acting with a depravity of mind and reckless and wanton disregard of life and “Torture” means an action taken for the primary purpose of inflicting pain.
While jail records indicated no bail prior to Boston’s first court appearance which the booking information said is scheduled for September 6th, an unnamed jail official told NW Horse Report that Boston was going to be released around 1 am on Wednesday and would instead be arraigned during a court date set for October 4th.
The release appeared to be in accordance with State Release Guidelines which were also amended in 2021 as part of Oregon Senate Bill 48. Since Boston would not be seeing a judge, it was initially unclear if there could be any release conditions that limited Boston’s access to horses or other animals.
However, following initial publication an MCSO spokesperson confirmed that there were no such release conditions, a fact that was expected to anger many.
According to a confidential source, Boston was arrested by a Marion County Sheriff’s detective at her Aumsville barn after having been spotted by others on Interstate 5, allegedly transporting horses. She was originally rumored to have been in Washington State earlier in the day.
Shortly after news of the arrest leaked online, numerous proponents praised the prompt efforts by MCSO in making the arrest. MCSO’s spokesperson eventually reached out and spoke to NW Horse Report.
“On September 4th, 2023, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of an animal abuse [at] 9322 Smith Rd SE, Aumsville, OR. The complaint reportedly involved a video capturing a female, by the name of Geneva BOSTON, Hitting a horse repeatedly with a whip. Deputies investigated this incident and ultimately arrested BOSTON for the crime of Aggravated Animal Abuse, and she was lodged at the Marion County Jail.” said Sgt. Don Parise.
“The Sheriff’s Office would like to hear from anyone with any additional information regarding BOSTON’S involvement in this investigation as well as any similar situations regarding the abuse of animals. Please contact Detective Jeremy Schwab at 503-930-6294 and or by email at jschwab@co.marion.or.us”
The source also said that they learned Boston had agreed to speak in person with a detective on Wednesday while accompanied by her attorney, but they suspected that had all changed after the unexpected arrest Tuesday evening.
Note: This story was updated after initial publication when information from the sheriff’s office indicated that Boston surrendered to authorities at the Marion County Jail, which contradicted information provided by a source.
This is a developing story that we will keep you updated on.
