Stolen eight years ago... now Polo the stallion is returned home!

Published: 18:35, 12 August 2026 | Updated: 18:35, 12 August 2026 When a foal vanished from its Highland home years ago, its owner never expected to see the rare stallion again. Despite never giving up the search for the striking cremello horse, Polo, Zoe Urquhart lost hope of finding him. But nearly a decade after he was stolen from her farm, he has been found hundreds of miles away south of the Border. The now 13-year-old was taken during a break-in at the farm in Morayshire in 2018, but has now finally been reunited with his owner after being discovered in Shipley, West Yorkshire. CCTV footage showed he was uploaded to a sheep load behind a pick-up truck with farm equipment going missing nearby around the same time. Ms Urquhart said she had never been expecting to see Polo again, adding it was ‘absolutely fantastic’ to have him back eight years later. The delighted horse-owner said: ‘I’d given up on the idea that he would ever be located a number of years ago, so it was a massive shock. ‘I got a phone call completely out the blue at 4pm and I had to make an instant decision on what I was going to do. He was uplifted within three hours and en route.’ She found he was missing after her farm was targeted by thieves and the foal – which was intended to be used at stud – had vanished. Polo the cremello horse was stolen from a Scottish farm Polo was in a ‘really poor’ condition after years of being neglected Ms Urquhart told BBC Scotland over the following eight years she heard almost nothing about his whereabouts, until she received the unexpected call last week from police. But Polo was in a ‘really poor’ condition after years of being neglected, she said, with a tumour and sore eyes. She said: ‘His veterinary and rehabilitation care will space into thousands of pounds. If they had several foals a year from him, they’d have made tens of hundreds of pounds but neglected his health.’ Stud fees in the UK run from around £200 to up to £350,000 for elite racehorses. Perlino and cremello horses have pale coats, pink skin and blue eyes. Ms Urquhart said she suspected Polo had been stolen because of his genes. She explained: ‘Genetically he is quite a rare colour. Perlino cremello foals are not so unheard of how, but certainly going back in time they were really quite rare.’ A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: ‘Following some community intelligence in Shipley, inquiries were made with Police Scotland. ‘The microchip number was checked and it was established that it was a horse stolen in 2018. ‘The horse was seized and inquiries into the original offence are ongoing.’ Although rural crime is rife, only around 100 or so private horses are stolen annually across the UK. Horse theft remained a capital crime north of the Border until the early 19th century.