Robert Labrie, a horse breeder, claimed in court that state officials overreached when they confiscated 20 of his pedigreed Friesian horses last September amid allegations of neglect. This was the third confiscation at his Townshend horse farm since 2023, with a total of 35 horses removed. Labrie painted himself as a victim and claimed his horses were in good health, despite testimony from veterinarians stating otherwise.

Labrie was late to court due to a serious medical issue with one of his horses, which his wife contradicted. The judge allowed Labrie to explain his absence and present his reasons for fighting the forfeiture. A former employee testified that she saw no signs of neglect at the farm, and that a valuable stallion had been sold to a California tribe before being confiscated.

The Labries testified that they still had 75 horses, but financial difficulties led to neglect in caring for the animals. The criminal case against Labrie is ready for trial, and he claimed that over 50 attorneys refused to represent him in the forfeiture case. State investigators denied Labrie’s claims of illegal seizure of his horses.