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- A $19,000 reward is offered for information on the shooting of a wild stallion in the Onaqui Herd Management Area of Tooele County.
- The stallion, named Pyrite, was found dead Sunday near Simpson Springs, though he was believed to be shot days before.
- Two other protected horses from the Onaqui herd were shot in March 2023, and those responsible have not yet been found.
DUGWAY — Several groups and the BLM have pooled $19,000 in reward money in the search for the person who shot and killed a young palomino stallion in the Onaqui Herd Management Area in Tooele County.
The horse named Glory, found shot to death Sunday, was one of over 300 wild horses, according to a February count by the Onaqui Herd Catalogue Foundation, in the Onaqui herd introduced by early settlers and cavalry in the late 1800s.
Glory, also known as Goldie or Pyrite, was "an eye-catching young palomino stallion who was a favorite of many who visited the range," a Facebook post from the Onaqui Catalogue Foundation said.
The horse was found by a member of the public approximately 3 miles southwest of the Simpson Springs area in Tooele County, south of the Dugway Proving Grounds, according to JD Mallory, a spokesman for the Bureau of Land Management. In total, the herd management area stretches across 240,000 acres of BLM, federal, state, and private land extending from Johnsons Pass south to Look Out Pass.
The BLM confirmed on Tuesday that the Glory had been shot, and based on initial investigative findings, Mallory said the horse was "likely shot sometime during the week of Nov. 3 and later succumbed to its injuries."
Several wild horse advocacy groups and the BLM have pooled reward money — the American Wild Horse Conservation, Red Birds Trust and BLM have each pledged $5,000, the Wild Beauty Foundation $2,500, and the Onaqui Catalogue Foundation $1,500 — totaling $19,000 for information leading to the conviction of those responsible for the shooting.
"The Onaqui herd symbolizes the enduring spirit of the American West," Ashley Avis, founder of the Wild Beauty Foundation, said, "and we will continue to advocate fiercely for their safety and welfare."
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Utah Law Enforcement Tip-Line at 800-722-3998 with any information regarding the shooting. Investigators want to speak to anyone who may have seen anything suspicious or who may have had any observations of shooting occurring during the period of Nov. 3-9, Mallory says.
Those responsible could be "subject to a fine of not more than $2,000 or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both, for each violation," according to Mallory.
This recent shooting follows the death of two other protected Onaqui stallions: Jasper, a blue-eyed colt, and a bay stallion named Arshan, who were found shot near Simpson Springs Mountain Road in March 2023.
A sorrel colt, "who was rarely more than a few feet apart" from Jasper, vanished at the same time, and has not been found, according to Jen Rogers from the Red Birds Trust.
At the time, the Bureau of Land Management and other organizations joined in offering a $37,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the killing of the two horses. No one has been charged for these shootings.
