Super Hit.

Who or what’s that?

Oh… just another dressage horse the Romney’s once owned – and tried to sell.

Selling horses is not illegal, immoral, or unethical.

However, to attempt to sell a horse that is so doped up in an effort to masquerade, conceal or hide a defective, sick, injured or wounded condition… well, now, that’s a horse of a different color.

Ann Romney was named as a defendant in such a case.

Here’s what Dr. Stephen Soule, DVM – an expert in equine podiatry – said of the horse Mrs. Romney was trying to sell:

“In my 38 years of practice, I have never come across a drug screen such as this where the horse has been administered so many different medications at the same time.”

This was not some long-ago issue, for the complaint was filed February 10, 2010 in California Superior Court, Ventura County, is case number 56-2010-00372707-CU-FR-SIM, and was set for trial September 12, 2011.

Here’s the nut of the case:

In 2010, a San Diego woman – Catherine Norris – sued Mrs. Romney, dressage trainer Jan Ebeling and his wife Amy for fraud, claiming that the severity of a foot defect in Super Hit, a dressage horse she purchased from Mrs. Romney for $125,000, was concealed.

The expert equine veterinarian, Dr. Stephen Soule, stated in the record that, “In my professional opinion, based on 38 years of experience in equine veterinary medicine and in conducting nearly 2000 pre-purchase examinations during this time, the HA-VETALOG injections to the left front coffin joint coupled with Super Hit’s inconsistent show record, decline in test scores, consistency in the remarks of different show judges on score sheets that Super Hit was “tense,” had “tension” and “tight” and “stiff,” and the fact that he was not shown for nearly 2½ years prior to the sale in February 2008, Super Hit was more likely than not chronically lame prior to Catherine Norris’ purchase in February 2008.”

A pre-purchase drug screen/toxicology study performed February 13, 2008 by Center for Tox Services, Inc. – an Arizona lab – on 6 blood collection tubes drawn from the horse Super Hit found Butorphanol (a synthetic opioid pain killer), Detomadine (a a2-adrenergic agonist, used as a sedative in horses), romifidine (another sedative mainly used on large animals such as horses), and xylazine (a medication used in horses for sedation, anesthesia, muscle relaxation, and pain relief) in the horse’s system.

Also named in the suit was Dr. Doug Herthen, DVM, the veterinarian who treated Super Hit, and who purposely failed to disclose the nature of his relationship with Ann Romney and Super Hit to the purchaser, Mrs. Norris. In his testimony, Dr. Soule wrote that, “The professional ethics standard in veterinary medicine is to disclose any implied, apparent, or actual conflicts of interest before agreeing to conduct the pre-purchase examination. In other words, there is no such thing as dual representation without disclosure. In my professional opinion, the failure of Doug Herthel to disclose to Catherine Norris his existing and/or prior professional relationship with the defendants Amy and Jan Eberling, prior to the pre-purchase examination, was a breach of his professional duties and ethics.”

For very nearly a decade, Mrs. Romney has held a financial and ownership stake in The Acres, a horse training ranch about 45 miles northwest of Los Angeles, which is also owned by Jan & Amy Eberling. Mr. Eberling is a dressage trainer from Germany. With the Romneys, the Eberlings own Rob Rom Enterprises LLC, a foreign corporation registered in Delaware, which buys and trains dressage horses.

Its about CHARACTER. I can't get the tox report to c&p but its not about the horse OK -its about candidate Romney. Rev Wright was a measure of what was in store from candidate O'Turdo. Its about background. Hiding wealth in offshore bank shelters should be off the table, WHY? Brian sez.. "Liberals have some gall taking Romney to task over this when Obama has refused to unseal or make public almost all of his records. If it's a non-issue for the Dems for Obama, then it should be a non-issue for Romney as well."

Well it IS the issue and both men should stand up.

"Both men should stand up."

OK.... waiting for Obama to make the first move. He has sealed more records for a longer time...

tick....tick....tick....tick...tick....

Tin,,,,,please post account numbers and countries where Mitt has offshore accounts.......

I love people who put up a post here and then sit back and watch the action, which seems to be what the original poster has done, since there are no follow-ups.

The IRS has a team of agents who watch tax returns from high income /net worth companies and individuals. When I dealt with large companies, they actually set aside office space for the IRS agents, so they could do their ANNUAL AUDIT. IF Mitt Romney had done anything outside the IRS regs, he'd have been audited at the drop of a hat. The IRS routinely flags returns of high income earners, exactly because they have high incomes and are paying high taxes and are using every legal avenue to pay only what they legally are obligated to pay. Surprise - just like GE and every other major corporation in the USA.

IF Rachel Madow has copies of ANY US citizen's tax return, she is complicit in tax fraud and should be investigated and, perhaps, charged with a felony. She either (1) got them by posing as Mitt Romney or (2) was given copies by someone else. Either way, she is possibly guilty of a felony.

As someone said about Harry Reid, "Put up or shut up."

Gene Batchelar Wheaton, IL

Gentlemen, Gentlemen, please be kind to me. I am just an American trying to gather information to make an intelligent decision in November. I appreciate the people who took the time to research the topic and report sincerely. For the remaining few who chose scarcasm and venon, better days are ahead. If any one out there is as old as me you might remember the words of JFK, "Ask not what your country can do for you but ask what can you do for your country". Then in 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis where I stood in the confessional line for hours trying to repent for past sins because the Russians were at any moment going fry my little butt in a Mushroom cloud. In the words of my elders, they would have said, "America, Love it or leave it" and some of us did. I would have responded with "UP YOURS". Our beloved President Richard M. Nixon (Republican) came on TV and said, "I am not a Crook". VP Spiro T. Agnew from Maryland was just a blimp on the scene and resigned in disgrace. August, 1974, Richard M. Nixon resigns as President of the US. Bill Clinton said I did not have sex with that woman, but he did. This started out as a history lesson and I could go on, but what is the point? The point is most of us do not take the time to do the research and get opposing view points and even less of us vote in any given election. What percentage of eligible voters actually vote? Is it ten, twenty, 30 or 40 or 100%? Use the google function and find out. So few of us control so many, and the many that don't, complain about those who do. Do you go to a town meeting and ask the candidates tough questions? Do you read the newspapers beyond the sports section? If it is raining outside, will travel out and cast your vote? Do you question the material that you do read? What is their agenda? What is there position? What will they gain from getting you to their side? I know that I lost most of you by now, and that is NOT OK. If I can turn one Democrat to vote Republican and one Republican to vote Democrat and one crack pot not to waste their vote and write in Mickey Mouse on the ballot, I will feel better about America and her people. Educate yourself with information from both sides because somewhere in the middle is the truth that we can all live with and will have to live with because the people have spoken. What would Rush, Glenn, Ed and Rachael say about that?

True Blue and Diamond Hard, Never let the flag touch the ground, 21 steps: 21 seconds Click

Harry Pennsylvania

BGT, I've got Romneys account numbers at my fingertips and will post them on TS for you- or I lose the debate... OK! ya got me.

BiO I've called him a kenyan since before his selection to be ruler. O'turdo won't move because obviously he could flick boogers into hillary's hair-do live on TV and get away with it.

Gene, Hows that LIBOR scandal goin for ya? Are you HAPPY that Gold-in-the-sacks won't be prosecuted this week?

Rachel Madscow is not a person I have anything to do with. Just being her is a felony.

Keep drinking the Kool Aid or smoking whatever you smoke guys. It keeps you mellow and ignorant. Just please, don't lecture anyone here.

If you can't make a decision about your November vote NOW, I feel a pang of disbelief and sorrow. The choice could not be clearer.

LIBOR ? Really. Maybe you should ask Mr. Geithner what he thinks.

Gene Batchelar Wheaton, IL

There's a wellspring of honesty.