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mariaclaragomez276 · 4 years

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20 of the world’s most stylish dog-friendly hotels

The year of the pandemic has also been the year of puppy love, with more of us turning to our furry friends for comfort than perhaps ever before. Where would we be without our four-legged companions during lockdown (and life in general) to break up our working-from-home days with cuddles, chasing tails, and a much needed breath of fresh air on a lunch break outing.

If your daily ‘walkies’ are starting to feel a bit too familiar, why not swap the local park for one of these canine chic boutique hotels, where pups can expect to be pampered as much as any other guest. From doggy afternoon tea, V.I.Pooch packages, personalised bedding and dedicated dog room service menus, these paw-fect places are the pick of the luxury litter. Because your dog deserves a holiday as much as you do…

The Farncombe Estate, Cotswolds – UK

An eclectic village-style assortment of houses, huts and hideaways set within the picturesque grounds of the Farncombe Estate, The Fish Hotel barks up all the right trees (and treehouses). Welcoming medium sized, well behaved pooches to their cosy selection of dog-friendly rooms, which are located on the hillside and spread throughout various individual buildings in the grounds. Be sure to book one of the Medium Rooms, Veranda Rooms, Small Suites, and Big Suites if you’re planning to bring your pup along, or one of the magical treetop cabin-style suites complete with underfloor heating, wrap-around decking with heated tubs, and woodland views. These rooms have wooden floors and easy access to your car along with 400 acres of Cotswold countryside on your doorstep for those all-important dog walks. Every doggy desire has been catered for throughout the estate, including dog hydration stations, a ‘dunk your dog’ bath tub (with canine shampoo and conditioner), a dedicated dog agility course, and doggy afternoon tea – luxury tit-bits from the likes of Woof & Brew and The Barking Bakery feature on the menu.

A stick’s throw from The Fish is the honey-hued Dormy House, which also welcomes dogs in their Danish Court rooms, including Rose Cottage, Courtyard Suites, and Comfy Rooms, all a short walk from the main farmhouse.

Paws for thought: A charge of £30 per dog per stay applies and includes a cosy dog bed in the room, two dog bowls, some lovely doggie treats, and a dog towel. You are welcome to relax in the bar and lounge with your pooch and you can dine from the bar menu, but note that dogs should not be taken into the main restaurant at The Fish. Dogs are welcome to dine with their owners in The Potting Shed at Dormy House.

Ovolo Hotels, Sydney & Brisbane – Australia & Hong Kong

A colourful collection of contemporary boutique hotels in Australia and Hong Kong, Ovolo Hotels offer an indulgent V.I.Pooch package at Ovolo The Valley Brisbane, Ovolo Woolloomooloo in Sydney, and Ovolo Central Hong Kong. Wake up in one of the trendy, art-filled suites and roll over to your furry friend, who will be provided with their own doggy bed, food and water bowls, and a doggy bag with especially designed toys and treats. With dog-friendly staff on hand to help with late-night walkies (because dogs can feel jet-lagged too!) and recommend local dog-friendly dinner spots, you and your pooch will be made to feel instantly at home with Ovolo Hotels.

The Plymouth South Beach, Miami – USA

Top left image credit: @wtfrenchie

This four-storey luxury hotel is a peach-and-cream Art Deco icon with a contemporary twist, where you’ll never have to leave your best friend behind. Spend days beneath a pastel parasol by the pool or private beach at The Plymouth South Beach with an expertly-crafted cocktail in hand, and your pooch by your side – with personalised Plymouth doggy bowls included in every canine booking. Watch the famous South Beach sunrises as you snuggle up to your pup, before enjoying one of the hotel’s doggy brunches and a sun-soaked walk in the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens or the Collins Park, located just around the corner from this Art Moderne masterpiece.

Kristiania Lech, Lech am Arlberg – Austria

An exquisitely decorated Alpine retreat with the feel of a private residence rather than a hotel, Kristiania Lech is just a short walk from the centre of the upmarket ski resort of Lech. Dogs are welcome to stay in every single one of the 29 rooms and suites at Kristiania Lech, so both you and your canine companion can enjoy the original pieces of artwork and spectacular views over the pretty village of Lech and towards the Alps. Warm up with some cuddles after a day on the slopes on the hotel’s sun terrace or Kaminzimmer (fireplace), or ask the resident leisure consultant for the best Alpine walks if you’re looking for more mountain air – the hotel would be more than happy to arrange a picnic in the snow for you and your pup.

Paws for thought: A charge of €45 per dog per day applies – well-behaved dogs are allowed everywhere except the restaurant.

Château La Chenèviere Hotel, Normandy – France

An elegant 18th-century château surrounded by attractive gardens and parkland, Château La Chenevière Hotel combines the feel of an English country house with classical French style. Claiming the Country House Hotel of the Year title at the SLH Awards 2020, every pastel tinted room has a garden view, making it the perfect place to enjoy the countryside charm of Normandy with your chien in tow. Explore the 12 acres of parkland with your pooch, with secluded walled gardens and a heated outdoor swimming pool (which is open from May-September). Or venture outside the hotel on one of the hotel’s bicycles (if your pup is basket-sized!) for a day trip to Omaha Beach or historic Bayeux.

Forestis, the Dolomites – Italy

The South Tyrolean mountainscape is a playground for pups and nature lovers alike, with endless forest trails and snow-dusted scenery surrounding Forestis – a summit-level sanctuary in the UNESCO Dolomites. You and your pooch will be greeted by resident chocolate Labrador, Amadeus, who can show you all the dog-friendly places to rest your paws. Make the most of the surrounding greenery in the summer, and pick up some snowshoes in the colder months to trek through the high altitude wilderness. This is a boutique escape designed to help you switch off and immerse yourself in the regenerative power of nature.

The Nare, Cornwall – UK

Flanked by colourful gardens and overlooking the gentle waves of Gerrans Bay, The Nare has all the exclusivity of a dog-friendly private island. The Nare’s beachside position puts Cornwall’s captivating coast at your feet, and with the newly-kitted out country house boot room courtesy of partners The Original Muckboot Company, guests can borrow a pair of comfortable wellies for strolls along the sandy beach or coastal footpaths. Well-behaved dogs are welcome in all the rooms and gardens at The Nare, with dinner from the dogs’ table d’hôte menu included in the daily dog charge.

Paws for thought: As with all guests at The Nare those with special dietary requirements and desires are well looked after. The dogs’ à la carte menu has a wider choice. Outdoorsy types and working dogs that don’t need to come into the hotel may prefer instead to stay in the working dogs’ kennels on self-catering terms, for which there is no charge.

The Sukhothai Bangkok – Thailand

Experience serenity and relaxation in the heart of the city at The Sukhothai Bangkok. Take your pooch for a stroll in the carefully landscaped hotel gardens, before enjoying a dip in the 25-metre infinity pool. Rooms blend traditional details with contemporary flair – you’ll be cocooned by polished teak and the Thai silks, with large flat-screen TVs and Bose audio systems for a modern interlude.

Paws for thought: A charge of 500 TBH per dog is applied to each stay, and dogs must be kept on a leash at all times when on hotel property (except in your room).

The Adelphi Hotel, Saratoga Springs – USA

When you first walk through the impressive entrance of The Adelphi Hotel, it’s easy to cast yourself back to the old world grace and grandeur of the 19th-century New York social set. Welcoming pets of all sizes for a one time fee of $75, dogs are allowed practically everywhere in The Adelphi – from all guest rooms, the lobby, all common areas to all three of the hotel restaurant patios overlooking Broadway. With especially designed canine amenities, including cosy beds, food and water bowls, leashes and collars, The Adelphi keeps its four-legged family front of mind.

Hotel Lilla Roberts, Helsinki – Finland

With its location and elegant, homely atmosphere, Hotel Lilla Roberts puts you and your pup in prime position for a luxury Helsinki holiday. While away an afternoon in the Art Deco lounge cosied up beside a crackling fire, or ask the hotel staff to point you in the right direction for the best local parks to play fetch, Finnish style – and with over 80 dog-friendly parks and dedicated doggy beaches to choose from, this Scandi city is the paw-fect choice for pooch parents.

Hotel Tannenhof, St. Anton am Arlberg – Austria

Close to pristine, powdery slopes and a picturesque village with traditional Tyrolean lodges and stone farmhouses, historic church and cosy restaurants, Hotel Tannenhof is set within a true winter wonderland. You and your pup will be given a warm welcome by resident black Labradors Emma and Tommy, before settling in to one of just seven elegant, wood-panelled suites. Cuddle up on the hotel’s custom-made beds, or have a post-ski snooze beside one of the open fireplaces.

Hôtel Crillon le Brave, Provence – France

Left image credit: @victoria_steiner

A quintessentially French bolthole that fuses the charms of a 17th-century hamlet with contemporary luxury, Hôtel Crillon le Brave is simply Provençal perfection. The hotel’s nine stone houses possess all the charm of French countryside living, with terracotta tiles, colourful throws and handpicked antique furniture. If you can bring yourself to leave this hilltop hideaway, take a tour of the nearby vineyards and wineries or wander the fragrant lavender fields of Sault.

Paws for thought: Be sure to book one of the Prestige Rooms if you’re planning to travel with your pooch, as pet-friendly rooms must be requested in advance. Small dogs (weighing under 10kg) are welcome to stay at Hôtel Crillon le Brave for a charge of €30 per night.

The Nimb, Copenhagen – Denmark

A Moorish-styled palace with a striking Venetian marble façade, all rooms but one at The Nimb have a log fire and view of the Tivoli Gardens. Dogs are welcomed with a hamper of goodies, including toys, turndown treats, luxury bedding, food and water bowls, and a ‘Do Not Disturb/Dog Sleeping’ card. A whole team of doggy dedicated staff are on hand at The Nimb, from dog sitters and walkers, to groomers and a veterinary service, your four-legged friends will hardly need to lift a paw.

Paws for thought: Dogs are not allowed in Tivoli Gardens (except for the annual Dog’s Day in June). Dogs are also not allowed in The Nimb’s restaurants, so be sure to request a pet sitter at least 24 hours in advance.

Hacienda Zorita Wine Hotel & Organic Farm, Salamanca – Spain

A former monastery overlooking the River Tormes, Hacienda Zorita Wine Hotel & Organic Farm is a magnificent wine resort with an impressive history that dates back to the 14th century. Look out for the working sheep dogs on the nearby farm, just a 10-minute trip from Hacienda Zorita where guests can enjoy cheese tasting and an authentic countryside meal experience. Therre are plenty of vineyard walks to enjoy with your canine companion, before indulging in some of Hacienda Zorita’s specialities, including extra virgin olive oil, local cheese and pata negra produced on the estate.

Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club, East Sussex – UK

A listed 19th-century mansion set in 186 acres of landscaped parkland, Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club puts the natural beauty of Ashdown Forest at your feet. Book one of the dog-friendly Fairway Junior Suites, with French doors that open directly out onto the parkland, complete with a private terrace and outdoor furniture. Four-legged guests at Ashdown Park can expect the royal treatment, with their own dog basket, blanket and bowls provided along with dinner and a goodie bag from Arden Grange, a family-run business that has been developing superior, premium food for animals since 1996. Be sure to ask the concierge for a map of nearby dog walking trails, along with their recommendations for dog-friendly pubs in the area.

Paws for thought: A supplementary charge of £30 per dog, per room, will be charged in addition to the room rates. Dogs are regrettably not permitted in the Main House.

Villa La Madonna, Piedmont – Italy

Verdant hills, vineyards, and terracotta roofs – Villa La Madonna overlooks the Bormida Valley in Piedmont, north-western Italy where guests are guaranteed to get a taste for rural life. Run by Swedish couple Helen and Mikael (with their adorable dog Stella), your pup will keep good canine company at Villa La Madonna, which is also the seasonal home to some truffle hunting hounds in the autumn months. If you can tear yourself away, the Alps are only two hours to the north, and the Italian Riviera one hour to the south – with plenty of picturesque walks for you and your cane to enjoy.

Crossbasket Castle, High Blantyre – Scotland

Steeped in history, Crossbasket Castle is a landmark Scottish retreat. Michelin-star chef Albert Roux has created a special menu for man’s best friend, featuring a a selection of salmon, mackerel, spinach and brown rice risotto, turkey and sweet potato stew and meatloaf with chicken jelly. Each item on the ‘dog’s dinner’ costs £10.50 and is available to order via room service, so you can treat yourself to a cosy night in. If you need to walk off all the night’s indulgence, the castle grounds include a large woodland area, extensive nature walks and a beautiful stretch of river with majestic waterfalls.

We have plenty more paw-fect places to choose from, just look out for our pet-friendly icon under the key features of our hotel pages!

The post 20 of the world’s most stylish dog-friendly hotels appeared first on Small Luxury Hotels.

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mommydearestella · 3 years

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BLOOD MONEY IN THE RICH, CLUBBY WORLD OF HORSEMEN, SOME GREEDY OWNERS HAVE HIRED KILLERS TO MURDER THEIR ANIMALS FOR THE INSURANCE PAYOFFS

On the rainy night of Feb. 2, 1991, in despair over the prospect of causing the death of a horse by breaking its hind leg with a crowbar, Tommy (the Sandman) Burns sat in a bar outside Gainesville, Fla., and got drunk on gin and tonic. "Really wasted," Burns recalls. "I had never done one like that before."

For a decade the cherubic 30-year-old had made a sporadic living as a hit man hired to destroy expensive horses and ponies, usually so their owners could collect on lucrative life-insurance policies. But no owner had ever ordered Burns to dispose of a horse by breaking one of its legs—that is, by causing a trauma so severe that a veterinarian would be forced to put the animal down with a lethal injection.

Burns's preferred method of killing horses was electrocution. It had been so ever since the day in 1982 when, he says, the late James Druck, an Ocala, Fla., attorney who represented insurance companies, paid him to kill the brilliant show jumper Henry the Hawk, on whose life Druck had taken out a $150,000 life-insurance policy. In fact, says Burns, Druck personally taught him how to rig the wires to electrocute Henry the Hawk: how to slice an extension cord down the middle into two strands of wire; how to attach a pair of alligator clips to the bare end of each wire; and how to attach the clips to the horse—one to its ear, the other to its rectum. All he had to do then, says Burns, was plug the cord into a standard wall socket. And step back.

"You better get out of the way," says Burns. "They go down immediately. One horse dropped so fast in the stall, he must have broken his neck when he hit the floor. It's a sick thing, I know, but it was quick and it was painless. They didn't suffer." And it was, for the collection of insurance claims, an ideal method of execution. According to doctors at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center, one of the nation's leading large-animal hospitals, even the most-experienced pathologist would be unlikely to detect signs of death by electrocution—unless, perchance, the pathologist was looking for it and the clips happened to leave singe marks. Many of the horses Burns electrocuted were assumed to have died of colic.

So Tommy Burns (a.k.a. Timmy Robert Ray), who had worked around horses since he had run away from home in Connecticut at the age of 15, became a serial killer of horses and got away with it for 10 years. According to federal agents, Burns destroyed some 20 horses, mostly show jumpers and hunters, on the show-horse circuit from Florida to Vermont to Illinois. "In 1989 it got crazy," Burns says. "I killed three horses in one week." Indeed, toting the canvas athletic bag in which he hid his deadly wires, Burns became such a regular presence among the wealthy show-horse crowds that he earned a sobriquet of which he would remain, until recently, unaware. "People knew what was going on," says a prominent West Virginia horsewoman. "When Tommy arrived at a show, they would say the Sandman was around. They knew a horse would be put to sleep." In almost every ease, something about a horse—its performance, its health, its age—had made the unthinkable occur to its owner.

By that night of Feb. 2, Burns had, by his own admission, run "hard and wild for 10 years." A few days earlier he and his associate, Harlow Arlie, had driven a vanload of show horses from their base in northern Illinois to Canterbury Farms in Florida. Among the equine passengers was Streetwise, a sporty chestnut jumper with a white stocking on each leg, a blaze on its face and a $25,000 insurance policy on its life. Burns has told federal investigators that the 7-year-old gelding's owner, Donna Brown, a prominent horsewoman on the clubby show-horse circuit, had hired him for $5,000 to arrange a fatal accident for Streetwise. According to Burns, the insurance policy did not cover death by colic—Streetwise had a history of colic, a life-threatening condition in a horse—so Brown insisted that he break the animal's leg.

"I don't want to break his leg," Burns, at the bar near Gainesville, sang to Arlie in his executioner's song. "I'm not into that."

"I'll do it," Burns says Arlie told him. "For half your fee."

The two men left the bar and returned to Canterbury. Burns figured the rain that night would make the perfect alibi: They were loading Streetwise into the van when the horse slipped, fell off the ramp and broke its leg. At about 10:10 p.m., after helping to load three other horses into the van for a trip south to West Palm Beach, Burns stood in the middle of a brightly lighted lot and held a lead shank tethered to Streetwise's halter.

Unbeknownst to Burns, investigators for the Florida Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services, acting on a tip, had been following his van ever since it had rolled into Florida, and on this night they were staking out the farm. One of the investigators, Harold Barry, lay flat and still on the top of a beat-up horse trailer less than 100 yards away, watching helplessly as the dark, rain-swept scene suddenly turned from eerie to macabre.

The powerfully built Arlie appeared behind Streetwise's right rear leg, a crowbar in his hand. Arlie swung the bar like a baseball bat, and agents across the highway could hear a crack. Neighing loudly, in a high, panicky scream, Streetwise began thrashing on his dangling leg, fell to the ground as a stunned Burns hung onto the lead—"I'd never seen anything like it; the horse went into shock," he says—and then scrambled back to his feet. The keening horse tore the shank from Burns's hand and took off around the stable, disappearing in the night, falling again, bellowing, only a sound now, an echo behind the barn now, in the dark now, in the quiet rain.

Tommy Burns punched numbers on a cellular phone, calling Donna Brown in West Palm Beach to inform her of events. Meanwhile Arlie informed Carlie Ferguson, president of Canterbury Farms, who summoned a vet. The vet phoned Brown, and on her instructions he called the insurance company on its 800 emergency number. Of course, the company authorized immediate euthanasia for the suffering animal. Moments after arriving on the scene, the vet put the horse down.

Burns and Arlie did not get far. After the death of Streetwise, Burns fired up the rig and took off. But two miles down Route 26, Florida Highway Patrol cars converged on the van from all directions. "They were even coming out of dirt roads," says Burns. He made a run for it, but he was quickly subdued, handcuffed and arrested at shotgun point. "What were you guys doing at the farm?" a cop yelled in Burns's ear.

They had him cold. Agricultural investigators found the crowbar and the electrocution wires in Burns's white pickup. An accomplice who had helped to load the horses at the scene, Chad Sondell, said in a sworn statement to state investigators that Burns and Arlie had told him they were to be paid $5,000 by Brown to kill Streetwise. Arlie confirmed Sondell's story, according to police reports, and admitted having struck Streetwise with the crowbar. Arlie soon pleaded guilty to charges of insurance fraud and cruelty to animals, and he eventually served six months of an 18-month sentence before being paroled.

Federal authorities had been investigating Burns for months—it was they who had tipped the Florida agricultural department that the Sandman was heading south with a potential victim in his van—and Burns's arrest turned out to be the major break in what had become a difficult collection of cases to crack.

Underscoring the importance of the arrest, an FBI agent and a top Justice Department prosecutor from Chicago, Steve Miller, descended on Gainesville only hours after Burns was taken into custody. Caught in the act, incriminated by Arlie and Sondell and facing certain conviction and a jail term on charges of insurance fraud and cruelty to animals. Burns decided to cooperate with federal prosecutors. He spent three weeks in jail, and after the Alachua County Circuit Court finally released him on $100,000 cash bail—under an order that he stay away from horses—he returned to Chicago, where he began cooperating with a grand jury that has been looking into the killing of horses for insurance money.

Burns quickly unraveled his sordid tale to law-enforcement officials, giving names, places and dates from his history as a professional horse-killer and a co-conspirator in cases of insurance fraud. Burns faces sentencing Dec. 14 in the case involving Streetwise, and he expects the feds to seek leniency on his behalf on grounds that he is a key government witness in what has become an investigation of stunning scope.

"Tommy Burns turns out to be the tip of the iceberg," one federal agent says. In the next few weeks, as agents from the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms wind up their investigations, sources estimate that as many as 40 owners, trainers, veterinarians and riders will be indicted on various charges related to the killing of horses for insurance payments. Law-enforcement officials are piecing together felony fraud cases against the owners and trainers who hired Burns, and they're tracking down itinerant stable hands and grooms who can confirm details of the killings that the Sandman carried out for their bosses. The inquiries have led agents on a long, circuitous trail from one scene of electrocution to the next, and along the way investigators have picked up leads on other insurance-related deaths not involving Burns and on still other crimes that include suspicious stable fires and the fraudulent sale of overvalued horses.

In the 21 months since Burns's arrest, investigators have developed hard evidence that such crimes have not been confined to the show-horse business and that Burns is not the only hit man working expensive stables. During that time the investigators have concluded that killing horses for insurance claims is business as usual at all levels in the world of show horses.

This phenomenon is hardly new, nor is it confined to jumpers and hunters. Twenty years ago, at some prominent thoroughbred racetrack barns, animals were dying at such an alarming rate that insurance companies were refusing to insure the trainers' horses. At one Belmont Park barn where horses were expiring mysteriously in the night, cynical grooms would show up in the morning and ask, "Anyone die last night?"

Veteran insurance adjusters say, however, that the number of suspicious claims by horse owners has increased dramatically in the years since the 1986 Tax Reform Act eliminated performance horses as depreciable assets. That "reform" and the anemic state of the economy cut the bottom out of the horse business, leaving a cash-starved industry with farms and stables struggling desperately to stay afloat.

Unlike paintings by Renoir or baseball cards bearing pictures of Honus Wagner, horses experience wild, often unforeseen fluctuations in value. Say, for instance, that a thoroughbred investor spends $500,000 for a well-built, well-bred yearling, insures him for that sum and sends him off, as a 2-year-old, to a racetrack trainer. And say that the trainer then informs the owner that the colt is so slow that he couldn't beat a $15,000 maiden claimer. Or that he is an ill-tempered, untrainable rogue. Or that he is about to bow a tendon and will never race. The humane sportsman might wince and take the loss, but more than a few others would make other arrangements. "The insurance is there, and it is very tempting," says one federal agent.

Over the last few years, says Harvey Feintuch, a New York lawyer who specializes in the investigation of equine insurance claims, "we have had a very, very significant increase in the number of claims that just don't look right."

Given the current economic climate, the sudden deaths of expensive, stall-bound horses tend to raise suspicions, even at the highest levels of the horse business. A widely respected freelance turf writer, Carol Flake, sent shudders through the thoroughbred industry when, in a meticulously reported article in the February 1992 issue of Connoisseur magazine, she raised the possibility that the death of Alydar—one of the most popular racehorses of modern times and one of the world's prepotent stallions—was not an accident (box, page 22).

In the investigation of thoroughbred fatalities, federal agents have found more than mere suspicions. In Brooklyn and South Florida, the feds say, they recently uncovered an insurance scheme that led to the death of one horse, a son of Seattle Slew named Fins, and nearly resulted in the death of another, Cutlass Reality, a New York stakes winner of $1.4 million. Prosecutors say that the scheme involved Victor Arena, the reputed head of the Colombo crime family; Howard Crash, a New York securities broker who is under indictment for bribery; and Larry Lombardo, a licensed owner and trainer of thoroughbreds who has been indicted on federal charges that he killed Fins "while making the death appear to be due to natural causes." Sources speculate that the horse was injected with parasitic bloodworms that brought on a case of thromboembolic colic, a fatal illness.

According to a 21-count indictment handed up in Miami on Aug. 4, Lombardo purchased Fins for $7,500, inflated the horse's value to $400,000 through a series of sales of phony shares, insured Fins for that amount and then collected on the policy after the horse died. Ron Rubinstein, Lombardo's defense attorney, claims that Fins died of natural causes and argues that the colt, at $400,000, was not overvalued as a breeding prospect. But Seth Hancock, the president of Claiborne Farm, which bred Fins and has been in the thoroughbred-breeding business for 80 years, said that Fins was a big, crooked-legged colt who couldn't run a lick.

Lombardo is also charged with conspiring to kill Cutlass Reality, the terrific winner of the 1988 Hollywood Gold Cup (and conqueror of the Horse of the Year, Alysheba), in an alleged insurance-fraud scheme. Crash and his former business associate Mark Hankoff—the two key government witnesses against Lombardo, according to sources close to the case—owned the horse in partnership with Lombardo and several others. What saved Cutlass Reality is unclear, but the hit was never made. "Somebody got scared and backed out," an FBI agent says. What is clear, according to the sworn testimony of an FBI agent involved in the case, is that Crash, Lombardo and Arena would have each received $1 million from the insurance settlement if the horse had been killed. Instead, Cutlass Reality will be standing stud in California next spring, servicing mares at $5,000 a pop—and that beats colic.

While the company that insured Fins had some doubts about the horse's stated value and was suspicious of the timing of the claim, which was made six months after the purchase of the policy, it nonetheless sent the $400,000 check to Lombardo and his cohorts. (Lombardo goes on trial next March 22; if convicted, he may be forced to make restitution to the insurance company.) Increasingly, however, insurance companies are balking at paying suspicious claims and are fighting them in court. The companies are also investigating suspicious claims more assiduously, looking for signs of fraud such as the bogus inflation of a horse's value and the concealing of ailments and infirmities. "We began to take more time and more care," says Feintuch, adding that Lloyds of London and other carriers have toughened their approach to paying claims.

Lloyds's increased vigilance dates back eight years to a case that rocked the highest levels of the thoroughbred breeding world and drove some of its biggest players to hide behind the woodshed in embarrassment. When, on March 25, 1984, an imported English horse named Pelerin died of vitamin D toxicosis shortly after ending his inconsistent career by finishing out of the money in a race in Louisiana, the underwriters of the insurance on the horse, all associated with Lloyds, had reason to be skeptical of the $1.45 million policy that Kentucky horseman Harold Snowden held on his half of the animal. Not only did Pelerin appear to have been poisoned, as the term toxicosis implies, but his value (Snowden and a partner had purchased him for $2 million) had dropped sharply in light of his less-than-stellar racing career.

Snowden, co-owner of the Stallion Station farm and breeder of two Kentucky Derby winners, Dust Commander (1970) and Bold Forbes (1976), had been one of the most active players in the business, the syndicator of more than 100 stallions and a prolific insurer of horses. In a gesture aimed at staying in Snowden's favor, the underwriters offered him $1 million—exactly what he had paid originally for half of the horse—to settle the claim. Snowden held out for $1.35 million. The carriers refused to budge, and Snowden took them to court. It was the first time that an equine insurance company had opposed someone of his stature.

Snowden came armed with 10 letters from fellow horsemen, all dated before Pelerin's death, in which each breeder expressed interest in buying a share in the horse for $75,000 upon his retirement to stud. At the 40 shares Snowden said he would have sold, Pelerin's claimed value now rose to $3 million. Among the nationally known breeders who sent letters were Warner Jones, then chairman of the board of Churchill Downs; J.T. Lundy, later head of Calumet Farm; and the late Leslie Combs II, then the aging pillar of Spendthrift Farm.

Snowden looked as if he would win in a gallop when—in a maneuver Perry Mason would have envied—Feintuch, acting on the underwriters' behalf, called two witnesses who destroyed Snowden's case and earned him the glowering wrath of the judge, Henry Wilhoit. One of the witnesses, a secretary for breeder Dwayne Rogers, testified that she had typed Rogers's letter to Snowden. The problem was that she had not begun working for Rogers until 14 months after Pelerin's death. She explained to the court that Rogers told her to backdate the letter to Jan. 5, 1984, two months before the horse's demise. The other witness, a receptionist at Spendthrift Farm, testified that she had typed Combs's letter to Snowden but that she did not go to work at Spendthrift until July 1984, by which time Pelerin had been dead four months. She testified that Combs had her type the backdated letter late one day, after everyone else had left the office.

Snowden was in trouble. His lawyers withdrew on him, leaving him to face a furious Wilhoit. Snowden hired F. Lee Bailey to put the toothpaste back in the tube, but that did no good. After a third horseman admitted that his letter was a fraud, Wilhoit concluded that "all 10 letters had been backdated." While never addressing the question of whether Pelerin was poisoned, Wilhoit charged that "a fraud had been practiced upon the court." Not only was Snowden out the $1 million that Lloyds had offered in the original settlement, but he was also left with a dead horse, a court-ordered judgment against him for $194,131.12 (to cover court costs and the amount Lloyds spent in legal fees fighting his claim) and bills from his own departed lawyers, not to mention from Bailey.

While the thoroughbred business has had its sorry share of cases involving insurance fraud, it has experienced nothing like the maelstrom that Burns is about to set spinning in the show-horse business. Sources say that, based on Burns's testimony, some of the most celebrated figures in the game are targets of the grand jury probe. They include Donna Brown and her husband, Buddy Brown, a member of the U.S. equestrian team at the 1976 Olympics and still one of the nation's leading performers in Grand Prix jumping. Not only does Donna face allegations in connection with the death of Streetwise, but she and Buddy are also under investigation for the death of Aramis, another show jumper. According to sources, insurance records show that Aramis, while insured for $1 million, died under suspicious circumstances. (No charge has been tiled in either case.)

Asked about the federal investigations into the deaths of two of the Browns' horses, the couple's lawyer, Mark Arisohn, a Manhattan criminal defense specialist, says, "I wish I could give you a response. We will plead not guilty. Our defense will be established in the courtroom."

Another horseman who has attracted the attention of investigators is George Lindemann Jr. of Greenwich, Conn., who has emerged as one of the nation's most accomplished equestrians since graduating from Brown University in 1986. Lindemann has ridden his stable of gifted show jumpers to victory in some of the Grand Prix circuit's richest and most prestigious events, but federal investigators are more interested in what role, if any, he played in the December 1990 death of his champion hunter Charisma.

Tommy Burns has told authorities that Charisma was insured for $400,000 when Burns electrocuted him for Lindemann in a stall at the Lindemann family's Cellular Farms, in Armonk, N.Y. According to another source, Lindemann had purchased Charisma for $250,000 in 1989. Minus Burns's alleged $35,000 fee for the hit, the insurance payoff would have left Lindemann with a $115,000 profit. It also left investigators wondering why, if Burns's allegations are true, the enormously rich Lindemann—the name Cellular Farms refers to cellular phones, the source of the family's wealth—would take so big a risk for so small a sum.

Asked about the inquiry into Charisma's death, Lindemann referred all questions to his lawyer, Elaine Amendola, who said, "Why should I be talking about this when George has the FBI hanging all over his neck?" She added, however, that "George is completely innocent."

Additionally, federal agents are looking into the possible involvement of veterinarian Dana Tripp, also an accomplished equestrian, in the death of Streetwise. Florida investigators say that Tripp's red pickup truck—with DANA TRIPP, D.V.M. emblazoned on its doors—was part of Burns's caravan as it made its way toward Canterbury Farms. It was Tripp, according to sources cited in the police report, who recommended to Donna Brown that she hire Burns to stage Streetwise's accident. Prosecutors have phone records revealing Tripp's numerous conversations with both Brown and Burns in the two days leading up to the death of Streetwise. Tripp has refused to respond to SI's questions about the matter.

The Sandman's trail has led federal agents to stables in at least eight states. Sources say that Paul Valliere of North Smithfield, R.I., one of the show circuit's leading trainers, is under federal investigation. Burns has told authorities that Valliere hired him to destroy Roseau Platiere, one of Valliere's own horses. Burns says he electrocuted the animal one night in its stall at a horse show in Sugarbush, Vt. Reached at his Acres Wild Farm in Rhode Island, Valliere refused to answer any questions. Seeking corroboration of Burns's Sugarbush story, SI spoke to a woman who said that she had picked Burns up at the airport in Burlington, Vt., and taken him to the horse show. (The woman said she had given this information to the FBI.) SI also spoke to others who described Roseau Platiere as vigorous and healthy in the hours before Burns's visit. Burns says he has federal agents that Roseau Platiere was one of the three horses he destroyed in 1989 during the busiest week of his career as a contract killer.

Agents are also following up Burns's account of the death of a show horse named Rainman. His owner, Chicago businessman Allen Levinson, collected a $50,000 insurance policy on Rainman's death, but he denies any wrongdoing. "I have never heard of Tommy Burns," Levinson says. "I was trying to sell that horse. I had it sold for more money than the insurance policy. There was a complete autopsy."

For the agents, investigating horse killings has been a difficult, unfamiliar experience. Only rarely has there been a body on which to perform a necropsy, as there was in the case of Streetwise; the carcasses usually have been lost to the rendering plants. So this has been in good part a paper chase. In some cases agents have served subpoenas on claims adjusters who had long before paid the owners for their losses. But the owners' files and personal financial records have been valuable, frequently confirming details of Burns's story of a horse's death—including in some cases the exact barn and stall where it occurred.

In fact, investigators have been struck by the ease with which they were able to follow the paper trail that some of Burns's clients left behind. Burns's presence on the circuit and the things that tended to happen when he was around became so accepted that he was treated like the feedman or the farrier. His employers frequently paid him with personal checks and sometimes with cashier's checks purchased at their banks.

Even federal agents, who thought they had seen everything, were shocked by the insouciance of some of those who dealt with Burns. Burns recalls one woman's approach to him at a horse show: "She said, 'Do you think you could kill my horse for $10,000?' So I did. She bought another horse with the insurance money and came up to me two months later and asked me to kill her new horse. She didn't like it."

There is a troubling banality about the evil at work in these cases. "We are dealing with a way of life here." one investigator said. "These people thought they had some sort of right to do these things."

Largely because of the nature of the crime ("These animals are so vulnerable that I'd compare it almost to hurting children," says Florida agriculture commissioner Bob Crawford), some law-enforcement officials have pursued the investigation with an inspired intensity. "This is a case where you can lose your detachment," says one federal agent. "These were beautiful animals. They were standing there helpless in their stalls. Most of these people had plenty of money. So you get outraged. And you work a little harder."

Burns knows better than anyone how the horses were standing in their stalls, wearing their halters and alligator clips and watching him curiously, like deer in a clearing, as he stepped outside and moved for the socket. He wants it known, as he has been telling the feds, that he wasn't there on his own. "I was not alone in all of this," he says. "I feel terrible about what I did. But I did not advertise. I did not do any sales calls. People found me and came to me. Very important people. Very wealthy people. They came to me because they somehow knew that I might be willing to do something they wanted done. They wanted these horses dead."

What the clients wanted, the clients got. However well he warbles, Burns knows he will do some jail time, just as he knows there will be no escaping, ever, what he did for so long with his life. There's no escaping that night in Florida, in the dark, in the rain, and the sight of Arlie with the crowbar, and the crack and the screams, the horse falling and thrashing, rising and running. Burns can still hear the cops yelling at him after his arrest: "You killed all those horses, and we know you did!"

"They were right," says Tommy Burns.

They always will be. That is his sentence.

FIVE ILLUSTRATIONS

ANASTASIA VASILAKIS

Arlie swung the crowbar like a baseball bat, and agents watching from across the highway could hear a crack.

According to federal agents, Burns destroyed some 20 animals on the show-horse circuit from Florida to Vermont to Illinois.

Burns's presence became so accepted that he was treated like the feedman or the farrier. His employers frequently paid him with personal checks.

Over the last two years agents have concluded that killing horses for insurance payoffs is business as usual in the world of show horses.

WILLIAM NACK

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davidnajewiczphotography · 1 year

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The Adelphi Hotel, Saratoga Springs NY on a beautiful August Day ..... love visiting Saratoga during track season

#photographers on tumblr #original photography #saratoga springs #new york #upstateny #track season #street photography

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gaytravelinfo · 2 years

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The Adelphi Hotel - Saratoga Springs, NY

The Adelphi Hotel – Saratoga Springs, NY

The Adelphi Hotel | 365 Broadway | Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 | 1-518-678-6000 Reimagined after 140 years, The Adelphi Hotel reopens its doors to extraordinary escapes, unparalleled service and unforgettable experiences. A vivid, modern reimagining of classic Victorian luxury. A rewriting of Saratoga Springs history. Our Golden Age is now. Thirty-two artfully appointed rooms, sumptuous suites,…

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hamid-world · 4 years

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9 Easy Weekend Getaways on the East Coast

In the canicule of summer, nothing is more refreshing—and rejuvenating—than a fast weekend trip. While that's definitely harder to try to to this year, there are a couple of secluded options on the East Coast for those eager to jump within the car and absorb some new scenery. (We're sure able to ditch our own four walls, too!) Whether you would like a quiet island in Georgia or an alpine escape in Vermont, these are the foremost gorgeous getaways beyond the doorstep. And for more safe travels, inspect the 13 Underrated Places That Americans Are Allowed to go to Now.

Editor's Note: We understand that travel is complicated immediately and restrictions vary state to state. If you propose on visiting any of the destinations or attractions below, which were open at the time of publication, we recommend double-checking their official websites for limited access announcements and general safety guidelines.

1New Hope, Pennsylvania

Nestled in Delaware, this quaint hamlet may be a hodgepodge of history. Established within the 1700s, New Hope quickly became a thriving mill town and layby between Philadelphia and NY City. Main Street still reflects this old-school charm with its 19th-century stone storefronts, watering holes, and galleries. and therefore the eponymous mill—now transformed into the Bucks County Playhouse for performing arts—is a nod to the enclave's treasured past. While here, walk along the promenade and swing by The Salt House, a 270-year-old tavern, for a pint, or snag a seat on the waterfront patio at Nektar bar to tuck into Mediterranean-inspired tapas and charcuterie boards. And if you are looking for an adventure, consider a tubing trip down the river or hop aboard a vintage train on the New Hope Railroad, which chugs through the bucolic countryside.

2Kennebunkport, Maine

Kennebunkport has all the trimmings of a quintessential New England escape. The Maine town is home to fresh lobster shacks, former sea captains' mansions, and kooky lighthouses dotting its craggy coastline. Wander through Dock Square, the central haunt where the Atlantic meets the Kennebunk River, and inspect the towering schooners within the wharf. For your own slice of paradise, look no further than The Cottages at Cabot Cove, a cluster of 16 shingle houses that appear like they're pulled from the pages of Coastal Living. The resort's manicured grounds are drenched hydrangeas, the lawn is about up for games of croquet, and there are beach cruiser bikes and kayaks available to explore the world. And for more coastal locales, inspect the 17 Best Secret Beach Towns in America.

3Shenandoah Valley, Virginia

Stretching 200 miles over the Blue Ridge Mountains Mountains, Shenandoah Valley is once among Virginia's most scenic locations. Its namesake park is legendary for the Skyline Drive that winds atop the spine of the range, and there are many natural wonders and magical caverns to get. However, the valley is additionally a thriving wine region, with verdant vineyards and tasting trails that might impress any oenophile. Pack a picnic and head to Shenandoah Vineyards, where you'll grab a wine flight from the Civil War-era barn turned tasting room.

4Saratoga Springs, New York

Just 40 miles north of Albany within the Adirondacks, Saratoga Springs was the premier resort destination for affluent New Yorkers throughout the late 19th century and early 20th century. In its heyday, the glamorous set came upstate to cheer on the thoroughbred horses at the racetrack, soak within the mineral baths fed by the area's natural springs, and socialize at Grand Union, the world's largest hotel at that point. Many of those pleasures are still available today, and you'll teleport yourself even more so by checking into the recently restored Adelphi Hotel. inbuilt 1877, the 32-room boutique stay is an emblem of Gilded Age elegance that overlooks the Victorian abodes along Broadway's downtown drag.

5The Berkshires, Massachusetts

Massachusetts could also be known for tony Boston or laid-back Cape Cod, but the Berkshires within the western side of the state may be a worthy destination too—and has fewer crowds. The region is comprised of 30 towns and two cities—North Adams and Pittsfield—and though its fall foliage and plush landscape may peg it as a natural escape, it's a surprisingly active creative community. The area's art scene boomed within the late 19th-century, drawing musicians, painters, and authors from the likes of Melville and Wharton. That legacy lives on at establishments like the Rockwell Museum, The Clark institute of art, and therefore the Massachusetts Museum of up to date Art (or MASS MoCA), the country's biggest contemporary museum. When you're able to hit the road, cruise down the 63-mile Mohawk Trail scenic byway, then drop your bags at Tourists. The rustic-chic woodland lodge has much room to roam, between its hiking paths, picnic spots, and saltwater pool. And for more stunning drives, These Are the simplest Road Trips in New England.

6Old Saybrook, Connecticut

One of the primary villages in Connecticut, Old Saybrook is straight out of a fairytale storybook. Beachfront antique shops, independent cafes, and Colonial homes decorated with patriotic American flags dot the most Street. Meanwhile, farther afield, Rocky Neck State Park and therefore the Great Island Wildlife Area offer a breath of fresh air, and therefore Connecticut is smooth enough to stand-up paddleboard or kayak as osprey, falcon, and sharp-shinned hawks soar overhead.

7Woodstock, Vermont

Full disclosure: this is often not the Woodstock that hosted the 1969 festival featuring Hendrix, Joplin, Joe Cocker, and other iconic rockers. This town is far more tranquil, hidden away within the sylvan slopes of Vermont. Here, it's all about the outside, whether you're hiking, skiing, or golfing. It also proudly displays its storied past: an ingenious 1818 Revere bell is often seen at the primary Congregational Church in town. The Woodstock Inn, a colonial estate that when belonged to the Rockefeller family, is that the ideal home base because it sits on the central green facing the covered wooden bridge within the heart of town. From here, it is easy to browse the gourmet stalls at the local market, pop into Simon Pearce's glassblowing studio, or see the animals at Billings Farm and Museum. And for more hidden gems, inspect the 33 Utterly Amazing Travel Destinations within the U.S. You've Never Heard Of.

8Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville may be a hidden gem sandwiched between the good Smoky Mountains and Blue Ridge Mountains Parkway. Its assets are that the Biltmore, a sprawling castle owned by George Vanderbilt and gardens designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who was the landscape gardener behind Manhattan's Central Park. the town itself has attracted many movers and shakers, causing it to blossom into a verified food destination and craft beer hub. Asheville native and el Bulli-trained chef Katie Button is at the forefront of this culinary crusade, together with her Spanish tapas bar Cúrate. Swallow the meal down with some suds on the alfresco patio at Wicked Weed, one among the quite 20 top-notch breweries in town.

9Jekyll Island, Georgia

While most tourists flock to Tybee Island, a step from Savannah, there's an island on the southernmost tip of Georgia that's far more secluded. Jekyll Island may be a historic atoll just an hour from Jacksonville, Florida, where the nation's most well-heeled families retreated within the 19th century. Today, you'll enter their footsteps, taking within the oak-lined plantations, peaceful marshes, and driftwood-laden beaches. Don't miss the Georgia marine turtle Center to ascertain a number of the island's most precious inhabitants.

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