Stefanie Tscheppe is devastated at the loss of her horse float, stolen while she was sleeping nearby.By Sarah Schwager
AN Endeavour Hills woman is offering $1000 for the return of her treasured horse float.
Thieves broke into Stefanie Tscheppe’s 15acre property in Endeavour Hills on Saturday, smashed her car window and stole her purse and car stereo before stealing the horse float.
Ms Tscheppe, 24, said she was sleeping on the property, which is not her residential property, in the stable, when she heard a noise at 1am on Saturday.
She had been sleeping there to look after a mare, which was due to foal.
After first ignoring her barking dogs, she said when she heard a smash she stayed inside the stable.
“I was only about 10 metres from them,” she said.
“I was on my own. I wasn’t game enough to go out there.”
She said the thieves cut the latch off the reserve gate and broke into the paddock.
They then smashed the window on the car and rolled it out of the paddock so they could get to the float.
“I thought they’d taken the car,” she said.
Ms Tscheppe said it was a homemade float that she had designed herself and only just bought in April.
“I worked my backside off to get this. It was my hardearned money. I’d wanted it forever.
“It’s very selfish and annoying,” she said.
“I’ve had sheds broken into before but it was just petty things like rugs stolen off the horses.”
She said the thieves had cut off the coupling lock on the float before hooking it up to their car.
“Those trailer locks are not as safe as you think,” she said.
Ms Tscheppe said the police came at 1.30am and patrolled the area but couldn’t find anything.
She has offered a $1000 reward for the return of the stolen float in reasonable condition.
The threemetre float is plain white with two spare tyres on the lefthand side, tinted windows towards the front and side and barn doors on the back, but it may have been slightly modified.
Anyone with information can contact Endeavour Hills Police on 9709 7666.
