Emily Grace Nevada Barrel racer arrested stabbing 3 horses at Las Vegas event as she sought to sideline her competitors during weekend meet at South Point Hotel, equestrian center.
A teenage girl competing in an equestrian meet has been arrested for allegedly stabbing three horses with a sharp object at a barrel racing competition in Las Vegas, Nevada over the weekend.
The animals were stabbed early Saturday morning at a barn inside the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa’s equestrian center, which was hosting a horse racing event over the weekend. None of the animals suffered life-threatening injuries, police said.
Emily Grace, a 17-year-old barrel racing competitor is alleged to have stabbed the horses inside their stalls circa 2:00 AM, Saturday, May 30, during the National Barrel Horse Association (NBHA) Professional’s Choice Vegas Super Show.
Barrel racer sidelining fellow competitors
Because she was a registered competitor, she had authorized access to the barn area. Security cameras and eyewitness accounts reported that she entered the stalls of at least three horses and repeatedly slashed or stabbed them with a sharp object, believed to be a knife.
According to horse owners and social media reports, the teen allegedly lingered around the barn afterward, watching bystanders tend to the bleeding animals and even pretending to help as a concerned participant according to social media posts from fellow competitors.
While the injuries required emergency surgeries and deep stitches, none of them were deemed life-threatening. However, the injuries immediately knocked the horses out of the competition, Fox5vegas reported.
Nevada Barrel racer charged on felony counts
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) located and detained Grace shortly after the attack. She was booked into Clark County Juvenile Hall and faces numerous felony counts:
12 counts of willful/malicious killing, maiming, or torturing of an animal.
3 counts of felony malicious destruction of private property exceeding $5,000.
Grace is currently being held without bond, and her initial arraignment hearing is scheduled for early June 2026.
Barrel Racing is most commonly associated with rodeos and western riding competitions. The event tests: Speed, Agility, Precision and Communication between horse and rider.
