Barrel Racing Event Rocked By Attack On Competition Horses
on May 31, 2026 • Updated Jun 02, 2026
An arrest has been made after three horses were viciously stabbed at a barrel racing event in Las Vegas.
On Saturday, May 30, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to a call that a horse had been stabbed in the equestrian barns at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa, where they were being housed for the National Barrel Horse Association (NBHA) Supershow.
When officers arrived, they found three horses that had been wounded “with a sharp object,” according to a press release. An investigation led to the identification of a teen girl whom authorities think “may have used a knife to inflict multiple injuries to the horses.”
All three horses survived the incident but suffered injuries severe enough to prevent them from competing.
The unnamed female was taken into custody at a nearby hotel and transported her to the Clark County Juvenile Hall. She is facing 12 counts of willful or malicious killing, maiming, or torturing an animal, and three counts of Felony Malicious Destruction of Private Property valued at more than $5,000.
Numerous outlets are reporting that the attacker was a fellow competitor at the NBHA event. We are withholding the alleged attacker’s name due to her being a minor.
Horse Owners Speak Out
Arielle Phillips, owner of one of the injured horses, shared her account of the incident in a post to social media. She wrote that she had been tending to her horse, Detail, when the alleged attacker began “hanging out” and asking “weird questions.”
Phillips states that upon leaving her horse, cameras captured the individual entering Detail’s stall as well as the stall of another horse, which also suffered injuries.
On Sunday, Arielle shared an update on Detail along with photos of her injuries. Photos can be viewed HERE. Viewer discretion is advised.
In an update shared on Tuesday, Phillips shared more information about the moments prior to the attack.
Arielle Phillips wrote in a post on Facebook that the alleged attacker was hanging out around Detail’s stall and was asking questions. Phillips was unaware at the time that two horses had already been stabbed and the attacker was waiting for Arielle to leave.
“Emily stabbed Sully and Rocket before she stabbed Detail, and that’s because I was THERE. She couldn’t get to Detail yet, so she handled Sully and Rocket first,” Arielle wrote. “She came to Detail’s stall twice because she was waiting for me to leave! And would come up with weird comments as an excuse as to why she’s in my barn aisle. The sickest part is [that] the second time she came by, Sully and Rocket were already stabbed. I had no clue. And Emily says to me, ‘Do you know if there’s an on-site vet right now?’ I said ‘I don’t think so, it’s midnight.'”
Phillips added that two minutes after she left her horse’s stall, the attacker stabbed Detail six times.
Professional barrel racer Hailey Krahenbuhl’s horse, Sully, was also injured in the attack.
Krahenbuhl wrote that the horse was “stabbed multiple times” and “is stitched up and in recovery.”
The third horse, Rocket, was stabbed three times and is expected to make a full recovery. Rocket’s owner, Keira Weisbart, wrote in an update that they aren’t placing any blame on the venue, “as there was nothing more they could’ve done.”
A GoFundMe account was created to help cover the costs of treatment and recovery for the injured horses.
“These horses are more than just animals. They are partners, family, and a huge part of their lives,” the fundraising page reads. “What happened was heartbreaking and completely undeserved, and now they need care, treatment, and support to recover. We are asking for any help possible to cover veterinary bills and give these horses the best chance at healing.”
As of press time, over $16,000 has been raised for Rocket, Detail, and Sully. If you would like to contribute, you can do so HERE.
