Following a peculiar horse theft that rustled the Memphis community, Pancho, the 22-year-old Palomino horse stolen from Shelby Farms Stables on a chilly Thursday afternoon, has been safely returned. Local news outlets covered the unfolding drama as the community rallied to locate the missing horse after witnesses spotted a man leading it down a greenway.
Eric Beene, owner of Shelby Farms Stables, had immediately notified authorities and taken to social media to appeal for Pancho's safe return. In a statement obtained by WREG, Beene said, "We put out an alert on Facebook, and instantly, I got some people calling me and said yeah, we passed a young male 25-30 leading the horse down the Greenway where people were riding bicycles and jogging". Pancho was notably wearing a green blanket when he disappeared, and his welfare was a significant concern due to the freezing temperatures.
The initial search for Pancho extended five miles to a property at Sanga and Rocky Hills Road, as WREG reported. However, the trail went cold, leaving the community and Shelby Farms Stables on edge. Later that evening, a turn of events occurred when the stables received a mysterious call from individuals claiming they wished to return the horse, "no questions asked".
According to a FOX13 Memphis article, the handover was intended to happen down a dead-end road, but Pancho had gotten away from the people before the stable members arrived. Despite an unsettling handover attempt, Pancho was eventually found near a church and brought back to the stables in good condition.
Beene said, "I believe all the pressure from news stations and people sharing my post over 2,000 times along with the offer of no questions asked if returned last night, is what brought him home." The stables expressed their gratitude toward the community and the media for their help in ensuring Pancho's safe return.
