Memorial held for stolen SAU horse - KSLA News 12 Shreveport, Louisiana News Weather & Sports

Memorial held for stolen SAU horse

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By Amber Edwards - email
Shaun Smith, SAU Rodeo Team Member and "Credit Card" (Courtesy: Southern Arkansas University) Shaun Smith, SAU Rodeo Team Member and "Credit Card" (Courtesy: Southern Arkansas University)
Members of the Smith family attend a memorial for Credit Card on their property in Emmett, AR on Wednesday morning Members of the Smith family attend a memorial for Credit Card on their property in Emmett, AR on Wednesday morning
EMMET, AR (KSLA) -

A ceremony was held Wednesday for a horse that was found dead after being stolen from Southern Arkansas University.

"Credit Card", a 15-year-old sorrel gelding, was buried in Emmet, Arkansas, on the property of his owners, the Smith family.

"The horse has been with us and he is our family and we wanted to bring him home and be with us," said Jay Smith.

The owners of "Credit Card" are starting a scholarship fund in his honor.

"We want somebody else to benefit from this tragedy and that's why we got with the university yesterday and we have set up a scholarship fund that each year, we will be able to give some rodeo student coming in to SAU a scholarship," said Jay Smith.

"Credit Card" was one of five horses stolen from the stables at SAU on November 2nd. The other four horses were found malnourished in Southwest Oklahoma on November 15th, but only the remains of "Credit Card" were found by the McCurtain County, Okla., Sheriff's Department, with the help of an SAU student and the school's rodeo coach on Friday morning, Nov. 25. The other horses are doing fine.

"It's not just a horse, it's a companion and our kids feed their livestock before they feed themselves," said Robin Smith.

"I just ask them why because there is not really anything that could have added up to what they did but I just don't know why they did it," said West Smith.

Investigators in Arkansas and Oklahoma are still trying to find those responsible for the horse thefts and death of "Credit Card". So far, there have been no arrests in this case. Anyone with information is asked to call their local police department.

KSLA News 12 will update this story with details when they become available on how and when that scholarship fund might be established, and how contributions can be made.

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