Las Vegas, Nevada — In the early morning hours of May 30, 2026, a teenage female barrel racing competitor allegedly snuck into the stables at the South Point Arena & Equestrian Center and brutally stabbed three prized competition horses with a knife during the 2026 NBHA Professional’s Choice Vegas Super Show.The Clark County District Attorney’s Office has officially filed charges against Emily Grace, 17, the teenage competitor accused of stabbing three horses at the 2026 National Barrel Horse Association Professional’s Choice Vegas Super Show.

The attack was premeditated. The suspect had already been removed from the competition the day prior for a separate horse mistreatment issue. She had also exhibited obsessive, stalker-like behavior toward one of the horse owners on social media, repeatedly attempting to meet her and her horse at previous shows.

At A Glance

A teenage competitor allegedly stabbed three horses at the Las Vegas NBHA Super Show on May 30, 2026.
Mare “Detail” was stabbed 6 times; gelding “Sully” stabbed multiple times — both required emergency stitching.
The suspect was removed from the show the day prior for a separate horse mistreatment incident.
She faces 12 animal cruelty counts and 3 felony property destruction charges.
Prosecutors are now seeking to try her as an adult.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police responded to the barn at approximately 2:07 a.m. after receiving a report of an injured horse. When officers arrived, they discovered three horses had been intentionally injured with a sharp object. Detectives from the Animal Cruelty Section quickly identified the teenage suspect, who had legitimate access to the barn area.

One of the injured horses was Sully, a gelding owned by competitor Hailey Krahenbuhl. “Sully was stabbed multiple times last night. I have no words, he is stitched up and in recovery,” Krahenbuhl wrote on Facebook. She added that another of her horses, Foxy, narrowly escaped injury. Another victim, a mare named Detail, was owned by competitor Arielle Phillips. Phillips described finding her horse wandering the barn, bleeding and scared. “The vet confirmed these were perfect stab wounds; there was no way it was anything else,” she wrote. Detail received stitches for wounds to her shoulder and chest.

Photo via Instagram/@ariellephillips_

THIS IS NOT THE ABUSER- THIS IS THE VICTIM-Arielle Phillips pictured above— the owner of Detail, the mare who was stabbed 6 times. She is a victim/horse owner.

Phillips revealed that the suspect had been following her on social media and had made repeated attempts to meet her and Detail at previous shows. The night of the attack, the suspect was seen lingering near Detail’s stall twice, asking unusual questions. “Two minutes after I left her stall at 12:02 a.m., this psychopath went in and brutally stabbed her 6 times at 12:04 a.m., causing Detail to go frantic and get loose, taking off through the barn aisles, blood pouring everywhere,” Phillips wrote.

Officers tracked the suspect to a nearby hotel, arrested her, and transported her to Clark County Juvenile Hall. She faces 12 counts of willful or malicious killing, maiming, or torturing of an animal (horse) and three felony counts of malicious destruction of private property valued at over $5,000.

While the horses are expected to physically recover, they are deeply traumatized. Their owners are emotionally devastated.

Please add your name to this petition to help Animal Victory convince the Clark County District Attorney’s Office to prosecute Emily Grace to the fullest extent of the law. We demand justice for Detail, Sully, and the third horse victimized in this heinous attack.

Decision Maker:

Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson and Clark County Juvenile Justice Services

Why This Petition Matters

This was not impulsive. Emily Grace tracked her victims on social media, planned her entry into the stables, and used a deadly weapon to torture defenseless horses in the middle of the night. Detail, Sully, and a third horse only knew how to give their all — and they were repaid with violence. Under Nevada’s Reba’s Law, signed in June 2025, deliberate acts of animal cruelty can now be charged as a felony even when the animal survives. We are demanding prosecution under the strongest available charges, mandatory psychological rehabilitation, and a permanent lifetime ban from owning or competing with animals.
Nevada Animal Protection Laws

Janelle Babington, CEO and Founder of Animal Victory, speaks to News 3 Las Vegas demanding maximum prosecution for the teen accused of stabbing three horses at the 2026 NBHA Professional’s Choice Vegas Super Show. (News 3 Las Vegas / KSNV)

Update 6/4/2026: Attorney Wolfson has contacted Animal Victory to let us know that he shares many of the concerns we have expressed and is committed to seeking justice in this case. As the incident occurred five days ago, the matter remains under active investigation. He has assigned two of his best prosecutors to this case, and they are currently seeking to have the accused certified to adult status. The judge ordered the 17-year-old accused of stabbing three horses at the NBHA Super Show in Las Vegas to remain in custody without bail. During the June 4 court appearance, the teenager denied the charges, and prosecutors are actively seeking to have the case transferred to adult court

Update June 4, 2026: Animal Victory has sent the petition along with our letter of intent demanding Adult Court Certification to District Attorney Wolfson as well as District A-G Clark County commissioners.

Update June 2: Charges Filed — DA Seeks Adult Court 

The Clark County District Attorney’s Office has officially filed charges against Emily Grace, 17. She faces 12 felony counts of willful or malicious killing, maiming, or torturing a horse, and 3 felony counts of malicious destruction of private property valued at more than $5,000.

DA Steve Wolfson announced his office is seeking to certify her to the adult court system, stating: “These allegations involve deliberate acts of extreme cruelty against defenseless animals and have had a significant impact on the victims, the owners, and the broader equestrian community.” Emily Grace is scheduled to appear in juvenile court on June 4. A certification hearing will follow to determine whether the case moves to adult criminal court.