Breeder sued for $1M after horse injured during semen collection

SHERMAN - The owners of a stud horse have filed a lawsuit for more than $1 million against a breeder, claiming their horse was injured during the collection of its semen and had to be euthanized.

Christopher Warwick-Drake and Liane Warwick-Drake filed suit against Richard McDonald and MC Equine Enterprise LLC on May 15, 2013 in Grayson County District Court. The defendants removed the case to the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division.

The plaintiffs owned a stud horse named “A Good Machine.” The horse was a Reserve Champion Sire and European Champion Sire, earning over 8,000 American Quarter Horse Association points and nearly $300,000 in earnings from the National Snaffle Bit Association,  a pleasure horse organization, according to the suit.

Under an agreement, MC Equine was to board, feed and breed the plaintiffs' horse. According to the complaint, on May 18, 2011, the stud horse was injured during the collection of its semen and had to be euthanized 10 days later.

The defendants are accused of negligence in failing to provide for the stud horse’s safety and failing to use safe and proper procedures in the boarding, exercising, transporting, walking, leading, holding, feeding, breeding and/or collecting semen of the stud horse. The defendants are also accused of breach of contract and the act of converting the collected fees and income produced by the stud horse.

The lawsuit is seeking an award of $1 million in damages plus $200,000 in collected fees, unliquidated damages, interest and court costs.

The plaintiffs are represented by Colleyville attorney Books P. Lynn.

Case No. 4:13-cv-00342