Court tug-of-war over Royal Chief horse ends

A fierce legal wrangle over the ownership of a thoroughbred racehorse called Royal Chief has finally been put out to pasture.

Judge Elizabeth Kubushi granted an order in the High Court in Pretoria declaring Johannesburg attorney Teegan van Basset Jonkbloet and her father, Andre, to be the rightful registered owners of Royal Chief and ordering the Sheriff of the high court to release the horse from attachment into their custody immediately.

The Jonkbloets’ battle to get their horse back started in August last year when they obtained an urgent interdict to stop Angela Storm and her father, Johann, from selling, using or disposing of Royal Chief, pending the determination of their ownership battle.

They obtained an urgent court order in October directing the sheriff to hold the horse in his custody at Kyalami until ownership could be determined.

The Jonkbloets said in court papers they had merely leased Royal Chief to the Storms, but retained ownership of the horse although the Storms paid for its upkeep.

The Storms insisted that Jonkbloet’s mother, Caryll, whom they believed to be the horse’s owner, had donated him to Angela after a bad race, although the Jonkbloets refused to sign documents to transfer ownership.

Teegan Jonkbloet said when they arrived at the Storms’ property with the police to remove Royal Chief, Angela refused and claimed it was her horse. – ilsedl@citizen.co.za