by Ellen Harvey, HRC

Freehold, NJ — Wilbur Frost, arrested in Adams County, Pennsylvania on weapons and animal abuse charges, has been convicted on the weapons charges, it has been reported in the Hanover (PA) Evening Sun on February 28.

Frost was arrested on November 8, 2010, after multiple citizens of Adams County, Pennsylvania, near Littlestown, called police to report that he was repeatedly whipping the Standardbred horse Give Chrome (1:54.4, $27,265, 56-9-5-3).

Frost also had multiple concealed and unregistered guns on the cart being pulled by Give Chrome. Abuse charges, arising from multiple large lacerations and missing hide on Give Chrome, were dropped. Frost has been incarcerated in Adams since November 8; he will be on probation and county supervision for 24 months.

Give Chrome, also about 150 – 200 underweight, was removed from Frost by the Adams County SPCA. A donation was made for his care through the USTA’s Support Our Standardbreds (SOS) program. SOS provides assistance for Standardbreds who have been abused, neglected or abandoned and who have been removed from their owners through legal intervention. To date, 24 horses have been helped through SOS; Give Chrome was the 23rd.

At the time of his arrest, Frost, who had a prior conviction for animal neglect charges involving draft horses and a dog, told arresting officers he intended to drive the horse to Oklahoma.

Give Chrome was adopted shortly before Christmas of 2010 by Meg and Alan Leavitt and now lives at Walnut Hall Ltd in Kentucky. He was transported to Walnut Hall by Mark Adams as a gift.