Teenage competitor arrested after 3 horses stabbed at barrel racing event, police say

LAS VEGAS (KVVU/Gray News) - Police say a teenage girl is in custody after three horses were stabbed with a knife at a barrel racing competition in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police say officers received a report about 2:07 a.m. Saturday that a horse had been injured at a barn near the South Point Casino. Patrol officers responded and learned three horses had been “intentionally injured with a sharp object” believed to be a knife, according to a news release.

During an LVMPD Animal Cruelty Section investigation, detectives identified a teenage girl who had access to the barn as a possible suspect. She was taken into custody and booked into Clark County Juvenile Hall.

Police say she faces 12 counts of willful/malicious kill/maim/torture animal and three counts of felony malicious destruction of private property over $5,000.

The horses were due to compete at the 2026 National Barrel Horse Association Professional’s Choice Vegas Super Show, which began Friday and runs through Sunday. However, police say the horses’ injuries, which are not considered life-threatening, are expected to prevent them from doing so.

The National Barrel Horse Association said in a statement the incident involved “the mistreatment of a limited number of equine athletes by an event competitor.”

“All appropriate steps have been taken to ensure the well being of all horses. We ask for respect and understanding for all involved during this sensitive time,” the statement read.