27-Year-Old Guilty of Brutally Killing Horse in Pine Bush

A guilty verdict was handed down yesterday in the violent killing of a horse in Pine Bush.

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler says that a 27-year-old man was convicted of all charges against him in a case dating back to the summer of 2023. As we discovered, this wasn't the first time the convicted felon had been accused of abusing a horse.

27-Year-Old Guilty of Fatally Beating Horse in Orange County, NY

Frederick Bourgault was found guilty in the death of a racehorse at the Pine Bush Training Facility on July 17 of 2023. According to the court, Bourgault violently hit the horse, named Finish Line, in the skull with a hard object. The blow resulted in a lethal fracture that caused the horse to be euthanized. Bourgault was convicted of Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree and a felony charge of causing injury to a domestic animal.

The Canadian man has a history of being accused of harming animals. In 2020, Bourgault was fined and suspended for allegedly beating a horse after it finished a race in fifth place. The following year, he was fined and suspended again after officials said he was whipping a horse one-handed during a race in Monticello.

Hoovler says that bringing Bourgault to justice was a priority.

We will not, as a civilized society, allow abusers to bring harm to helpless animals. My Office will continue to utilize all legal resources available and work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that crimes like these are investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent under law.

Bourgault is scheduled for sentencing on July 7.