Stolen Horse International, Inc.
PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, contact: Debi Metcalfe
PO Box 1341, Shelby, NC 28151
704-484-2165, Cell: 704-472-4314
Email: idahonc@..., stolenhorse@..., www.netposse.com

Press release and pictures online:
http://www.netposse.com/ncponyfound2006.htm

Stolen Pony located after 5 years through NetPosse.com

November 13, 2006 – Vale, North Carolina – When Heidi Courneya
casually went surfing on a cool November morning, she made a
startling discovery. Imagine her shock when she found Cheyenne, the
pony she had named Chief, pictured on a site for stolen and missing
horses, www.netposse.com. That Web site, the Internet home for Stolen
Horse International, Inc., clearly stated that Cheyenne had been
stolen on September 23, 2001. Heidi couldn't believe what she was
seeing, but in the midst of her disbelief, Heidi did the only thing
she could. The bewildered lady picked up the phone and called Stolen
Horse International, Inc. (SHI).

SHI's headquarters happen to also be located in North Carolina, the
same state in which Cheyenne's theft occurred. When Debi Metcalfe,
founder of the nonprofit organization, received the call from Heidi,
she was beyond thrilled. "There are so many horses that are still
missing and stolen. Every day, I work with victims and law
enforcement in an effort to help recover them, but it saddens me to
know that so many haven't been found." Debi had even caught herself
looking the previous weekend for Cheyenne while out driving. "To get
a call like this, and first thing in the morning … I cannot even
describe how I felt. This is one of those moments that just reaffirms
that what I do is worthwhile."

More than five years since the theft, Cheyenne had been found. Not in
a pasture miles from home or at an auction in another state, but in
the same city to which his owners had eventually moved. This
beautiful black and white paint pony was almost right under their
noses, and he wasn't being hidden away. "Chief" had been purchased
only two months before by Heidi for her pony riding business. She was
completely unaware there was a stolen horse in her possession.

When Debi finally reached Alesha Tilley, Cheyenne's owner, the news
was met with more disbelief and then joy. Knowing that Cheyenne was
safe and cared for allowed Alesha to gain closure from his theft.

While traveling to the Courneya farm Sunday afternoon Alesha and
husband, Rick, were still afraid to let themselves believe the pony
they saw in the picture sent to them by Metcalfe was indeed their
pony. Shortly after the Tilleys and Debi and Harold Metcalfe arrived
at the Vale farm, there was no doubt.

"Even though I saw the picture and I felt like it was him I had to
see the two lines on each side of his neck to be sure. There was no
way I could have prepared myself for how that moment felt," say
Alesha of her reunion with Cheyenne in a phone conversation with
Metcalfe on Monday.

"I still don't know what to say about the last couple of days.
Yesterday I felt "shell shocked", I couldn't think or function -
didn't know what I felt or what I would do, I think I was in
emotional overload."

Cheyenne, now 20-years old, will be returning to the Tilley's new
home in Vale on Friday. Alesha is thankful to Heidi for her honesty
that has already answered so many unanswered questions. She and Rick
are determined to trace Cheyenne's journey in an effort to find the
thief so that he cannot do this to another child. This cold case is
still open!

Alesha continued by saying, "There is no possible way to thank you
enough for all that you do to help - we would never have found
Cheyenne without you. I'm sorry I couldn't answer yesterday when you
asked what I was thinking - but I couldn't because I was too
overwhelmed to have any clear thoughts (or even clear feelings) in
me.

Whether a horse is stolen by a thief in the night or spooked on a
mountain trail, Debi and her supporters, dubbed by the media
as "NetPosse", work together to bring these horses safely home.
Approximately 50 percent of the horses listed as stolen on NetPosse
have been recovered, but then there are those that are still missing.
For those victims and dedicated NetPosse members, the search
continues no matter how many weeks, months or years may pass.

Angela Kirby – Stolen Horse International Public Relations

For more information on Stolen Horse International and its programs,
visit the website at www.netposse.com. Stolen Horse International is
a Section 501(c)(3) organization under the Internal Revenue Code.
Contributions to it are tax-deductible as charitable contributions.