UPDATE: Cameo found safe and sound in informal settlement

Evidence of miracles or pure coincidence?

Either way, Margie Cameron is overjoyed with the recovery of her prized dressage horse Cameo, which was stolen from stables in Hilldrop almost two weeks ago.

The story was an incredible one, she stated.

In the days following the theft, Mrs Cameron’s husband, Mike Smith printed a number of pamphlets with a photograph of Cameo, the reward amount and a description.

By this time, a number of people had come forward to offer their assistance.

One such person was Retha Erasmus, who took a stack of pamphlets to a local filling station and handed them out to the attendants.

“The very first attendant she spoke to, said he saw the horse that morning in Blaauwbosch,” Mrs Cameron explained.

She was sceptical at first, expecting to be left disappointed.

However, the situation changed once the attendant was contacted by Mr Smith directly, as his description was Cameo to the letter.

“He told my husband it was a black horse in good condition and was ‘cheeky’. I knew then it was her.”

The filling station attendant enlisted the help of two men to travel back to Blaauwbosch and note where the horse was being kept.

Unfortunately, their search came up with nothing.

Things came to a head last Wednesday morning, when Mr Smith was informed the same two men had been offered a horse in exchange for some cattle.

“Mike called Morne Potgieter [of a local security company] and the Stock Theft Unit, who went out to find the horse’s alleged owner.”

Mrs Cameron and her husband hitched the horse box and joined the search, only to return home a few hours later empty-handed.

Meanwhile, the security company and SAPS kept the house under watch.

“At about 5am we had a call to say the ‘owner’ was in handcuffs and a horse was recovered.”

Not knowing if the horse really was Cameo and what condition she was in, the couple drove through kilometres of overgrowth and informal settlements.

“There were flashing lights and vehicles everywhere, and there was Cameo in the middle of all the action.”

A second horse stolen on the same night was also reunited with its owner, and Mrs Cameron was overjoyed that her story had a happy ending.

She described the situation as one unbelievable coincidence.

“We divided the reward between the petrol attendant and the two men who helped search for Cameo.”

In terms of injuries, Cameo suffered a single deep cut to one of her rear fetlocks (ankle) and a few welts from being whipped.

“Her long mane was cut and the front shoes were removed, but she wasn’t cut by the whip and her mouth is fine. She has lost some weight.”

Cameo’s reunion with her stablemates and groom, Johannes was an emotional one, given the number of years they have trained together.

For Mrs Cameron, she has employed extra security to safeguard her precious horse.

“It’s not only about her breeding, but her experience in dressage. It was devastating to think of a horse with that amount of training being abused by someone else. It was terrifying.”

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