A Georgia couple has filed suit against Dr. Greg Staller alleging the New Jersey veterinarian failed to provide them with their horses’ vet records for more than six months.
The horses are the subject of on-going litigation in which the plaintiffs allege Parra of Piaffe Performance committed fraud.
The soundness of the gelding Ecu 8, at the time of the horse’s sale in 2009 to a German citizen, is currently being disputed across the pond. A trial began today in Germany. The woman purchased the gelding for upper level dressage from Arnold Winter’s Pferdesport Wintermuhle GmbH, who was reportedly acting as the agent for Parra. She paid $85,000€ for the gelding, which she claims has been lame since the purchase. The soundness problem is attributed to an “arthritic condition in its fetlock, apparently already present at the time of handover,” according to court records.
Back in the United States, the Morgan’s lawsuit against Parra states he represented that Ecu 8 was traded for $400,000€ as part of the sale price for the dressage mare, Florence 115. They later discovered that Winter brokered the deal in which Ecu 8 actually sold for 85,000€ to the German woman.
Parra is appealing the court’s earlier decision, which allows the plaintiffs to proceed to trial. The case is scheduled to go before the Appellate Division in late March, according to the court docket.
Rate My Horse PRO contacted Dr. Staller but did not receive a response prior to publishing.