I Met My First Con Artist - That I Know Of!

I've been meaning post on this because it's been the latest and greatest lesson in life. Fortunately, I lost nothing.

I will preface this by saying I have met my share of dishonest people. Just like I'm sure everyone else has - and I always thought a Con was someone that lied to get what they want. Well this is true but not necessarily completely true.

So, a few years ago I was shopping horses for a client. I went out to look at a horse a trainer had for sale. It was a nice horse he broke out. I liked the handle and she felt really solid. She didn't work for my client but this trainer and I got to talking about other things...as all horse people do.

He complimented my riding and asked if I had time to sit a few for him on cows. He was just over an hour away from me so I said maybe, we'll have to see. Because really, if the price is right, over an hour is not that big a deal. I also have a thing for working cattle so the opportunity to ride with someone who's more experienced than me in that is a plus.

Well, that never really came about. Between shows and other obligations, we never connected on a weekend.

Then, he moved to another barn. He told me had to leave the barn he was at because he dated someone important there and it ended badly. Which makes sense to me, I could see that happening.

The barn he moved to was over two hours from me so riding some horses for him became out of the question. We kept in contact and chatted over the phone.

He had a stallion in training he wanted me to show in hunter classes because he said he wouldn't be caught dead in breeches. Makes sense to me, that would be a cowboy thing - and I agree with it. He said he'd get the horse good and I'd just have to take a weekend before the show to leg up. Problem was he wanted me to show amateur and I can't. Well, I could try. But I won't. For all the moral reasons and the consequences, I won't.

That didn't sit right with me, his question - however the industry is full of people that cheat on the ammie/open issue and some people are too far into the game to see or care how wrong it is. I'm not making excuses for him - but I really wanted to ride with him on cows - he is very experienced in ranch verstatility as well. Here in MN - they can be hard to come by.

By the way this guy is either from Oklahoma or Tennesse.

Oh, he also wanted to date me. But he was undatable due to having kids in Texas he never sees. Not only that - way too "cowboy" for my comfort. I love cowboys with all my heart but there are some that are just fun to drink beer with and nothing more. He would be one.

After a while he moved out of state to another barn. He was too stressed at his last barn due to having too many horses and not enough help. The barn he moved too had someone there to do chores. He wanted me to come out and tag team a clinic - I work with the riders and he does the horses. Makes sense to me, my fortay is teaching.

All this time he was getting bank rolled by a woman that came into some money. This woman kept all her money in cash - all six figures of it. Don't throw stones at her. This is a free country and people can do what they want to with their money even if it's stupid. She also gave him her husband's leased truck to use. Once again, free country.

I did get out to see him at his new barn. I was beginning to think he was running away from child support or something because he moved so much. All this time I heard many good things about him. I also witnessed many good horses with him. And I got to ride a couple that really were horses he had trained or fixed. One horse coming to mind was a 16.3 hand hunter with a bad bucking problem so said the owner. I rode that horse and I honestly would've never guessed that horse thought to buck.

Time goes on. He wanted me to come out weekly to teach and he promised me a ton of lessons with boarders - if I would ride some and help him. This could have been lucrative for me if the focus was on work. He still wanted to date me. I still said no.

We had plans to ride over the summer and never did. He never called.

When I was in Okie last September he called out of the blue and said was going to be passing through on his way to a show in Texas. I offered him to stop in because he had a 24 hour drive and I had some open stalls. I figured my friends that own the property I was sitting wouldn't care if we used a couple to rest some horses. I told him to call me when he knew his ETA and then I would call/text my friends and see if they wouldn't mind.

Well he never called. I texted and he never responded once.

Just a few weeks ago I found out he drained his client of all her money, never did much with the shows, she claims he never rode the horses and he blew up the truck in Texas and can't come back.

Whoa.

Now he's the resident trainer at another place there - but probably not for long. The owner had to go steal her horses back and she is promptly trying to sue him somehow.

A lot of this is he said/she said and definitely this woman was not smart with her money (I mean, seriously, if you want to make a million in the horse industry, start with two).

Well, I just about fell out of my chair when I heard all of the stuff. I don't think I'm that dumb! I like to think of myself as someone who can generally spot a liar.

Point to everything is that, to him, he wasn't lying. A true Con believes their own story and so therefore can't be detected by others. I find this fascinating. I never knew that!

I'm so thankful I never did much with him - how awful to be associated with someone dishonest like that. I actually have a pretty good name for being honest and many people call me for my opinion.

Whew.

How interesting and f'd up!