Champion saddles recovered, suspected thief looking at 10 years in prison

An Austin man could face a decade in prison after authorities say he stole six prize saddles from an elderly cowboy in Lee County. The saddles — worth two-thousand dollars each — were stolen from a 78-year-old man who is a champion calf roper. An investigation by a TSCRA Special Ranger Kenny Murchison tracked down suspect Dalton Keith Hammond, who is suspected of selling two of the saddles to an Austin business. They later found two more saddles in the suspect’s car at this southwest Austin apartment complex and the final two were tracked down after they were sold to a man in Dripping Springs. Hammond’s theft charge was enhanced because the owner of the saddles is older than 65. Watch the story at KXAN news. Read more…