Equine / Horses

Brian Welder is a Wilderness Outfitter who has been Training Horses, Guiding Hunters, Western Trail Riding, and Outfitting for over 40 years. He is President of the Northwest Colorado Outfitters Association, a Member of the American Equine Alliance, and an Outfitter Member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. His experience comes from guest ranches, cutting horses, 26 years of self-employment as a guide/outfitter and has probably learned as much or more being under a horse with 27 years as a professional farrier.

Mr. Welder owns 60 horses and owns and operates Welder Outfitting Services in the Flattops Wilderness and Maroon Bells Guide and Outfitters in the Maroon Bells Wilderness of Colorado, operating under Special Use Permit by the U.S. Forest Service. Additionally, he is an Outfitter Member, past VP, and current Secretary of the Colorado Outfitters Association and has 5 years experience with performance horses and has provided over 1,000 sleigh / wagon rides.

Welder Outfitting Services and Maroon Bells Guide and Outfitters provide team building opportunities, retreats, and workshops for clients including individuals, research groups, organizations, and institutions. They offer horseback riding, hunting, fishing, camping, and pack trips in the Flat Tops and Maroon Bells Wilderness in Colorado's White River National Forest - all from the back of a horse.

Mr. Welder's outfitting experience and case history qualify him to provide expert legal testimony for equine related issues including Horse Safety, Horse Behavior, Horse Accident Reconstruction, and Equipment Cases.

J. Cooke is a Horse Trainer, an accredited Equine Appraiser, a certified riding instructor, a champion horse show rider since 1960, a winning and licensed thoroughbred race horse trainer and exercise rider, and has earned a graduate degree in paralegal studies. Currently she provides equine-related technical advice, consultation, and expert witness work in legal and non-legal related issues, to include risk assessment, risk management and risk reduction.

See CV at website for additional background information. Call for rates and references.

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Rod Bergen has an extensive education and background in Horse Behavior and Horsemanship. Mr. Bergen is nationally certified as an Advanced (Level III) Horseback Riding Instructor by the American Riding Instructors Association (ARIA) in Dressage, Recreational Riding and Mounted Patrol. He has owned and managed horse training, breeding and boarding facilities for over 30 years. He is a Certified Equine Appraiser and member of the American Association of Equine Appraisers.

Mr. Bergen is qualified to testify as an Equine Forensic Consultant in the California Superior Courts. He has served as a Horse Expert in over 40 legal cases (including 5 deaths) involving horses and horse facilities. Mr. Bergen is listed with the L.A. County Bar Association as an Equine Forensic Consultant / Expert Horse Witness.

Specialties:

• Personal Injury & Property Damage
• Equine Accident Reconstruction
• Horse Facility Evaluations
• Riding Equipment Suitability
• Horsemanship Safety Standard of Care
• Equine Problems & Personal Liability Issues During Competitions
• Trail Riding
• Parades

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ValueMyHorse Bridget Brandon of ValueMyHorse Equine Appraisals specializes in educating attorneys in case specific horse terminology, developing valuation appraisals, testifying in court, finding critical evidence, analyzing crucial facts, and creating relevant witness questions. She provides the legal community with a wide range of analysis, education and support for equine-related proceedings throughout the United States. ValueMyHorse services clients from any locality and any state needing expertise in the area of Sporthorses, Performance Horses, pleasure horses and breeding. Bridget has testimony experience and is qualified as an expert.

USPAP certified, ValueMyHorse understands Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) compliance issues. They also know what it takes to comply with the IRS Federal Code of Regulations with respect to being “qualified” appraisers developing a “qualified” appraisal in accordance with AQB (Appraisal Qualifications Board). Whether to support business valuation and profit motive claims for dissolution of marriage, charitable donations of horses, estate valuation, partnership disputes, or IRS related issues, ValueMyHorse is available with regard to IRS Hobby Loss Issues, the Relevant Market, Type of Horse, Horse Show Issues, Breeding Issues, Boarding, Care, Custody and Control, Highest and Best Use, and Fungibility.

Selected Case Examples

• Appraised investment horse for syndication group law suit (plaintiff)
• Appraised show jumper in lawsuit concerning misrepresentation of age (plaintiff)
• Consulted on malpractice law suit concerning value of deceased dressage / breeding stallion - loss of income from stud fees and sale of offspring (defendant)
• Appraised imported Grand Prix prospect in a trailer accident and eventually euthanized due to injuries (defendant)
• Appraised dressage horse injured in care of veterinarian (defendant)
• Appraised jumper injured in a trailer accident (defendant)
• Appraised a deceased western pleasure show horse who was electrified (defendant)
• Appraised reining horse for bank regarding defaulted loan (plaintiff)
• Appraised jumper who died of injuries obtained while in her stall (defendant)

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Dr. Patrick Melese, DVM, MA, DACVB (Diplomate American College of Veterinary Behaviorists) is a Board-Certified Veterinary Behaviorist with over 25 years of experience. Dr. Melese specializes in Animal Behavior related issues including injuries from animals, dog bites, horse injuries, cats, and various dog breeds including pit bull terriers. A clinical veterinary behaviorist, he has extensive expertise in Veterinary Medicine as well as Animal Welfare and Negligence Issues, especially for companion animals.

Dr. Melese has delivered numerous presentations over the years for international, national, regional and local veterinary conferences as well as for dog training groups such as APDT, shelter organizations, etc. His teaching appointments include past work as clinical Faculty of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and, currently, Western University School of Veterinary Medicine and other veterinary schools where he instructs senior veterinary students on applied clinical veterinary behavior as they do preceptorships and externships through his clinical specialty practice.

Dr. Melese has been retained as an Expert Witness numerous times since 1989 (usually several cases per year) for both defendants and plaintiffs, mostly regarding dog-related injuries but also occasional related to other species such as horses and cats. He has also been of service for issues such as evaluating animals for rescue shelters and relating to animal control administrative impounds and abatement proceedings. Dr. Melese has been designated in superior, state, and federal courts and has been deposed and effectively testified when cases have proceeded all the way to the courtroom. Please see the website for further details including professional fees, retainers and other information regarding retaining Dr. Melese for your case.

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Carl Weil is a Risk Management Expert in the field of Outdoor Recreation. His experience includes over 300 cases and 3,000 risk management reviews in the US, Canada, and abroad. Mr. Weil has designed Safety Liability Programs including Property Insurance Programs for over a dozen insurance companies.

A third generation guide, rancher, and horseman, Carl Weil has received numerous credentials including Nationally Registered EMT, EMT-IV/MAST, Colorado Instructor-Coordinator, CPR Instructor Trainer, a National Wilderness Instructor trainer designation and the prestigious Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine. He has extensive experience with Outdoor Recreation Product Liability cases. With over forty years of specialized knowledge in the field of Archery, Mr. Weil has been deemed an Expert on carbon fiber arrow personal injury, investigating arrow use and care and bow design, including compound and cross bows. He has been called as an expert for both civil and criminal cases.

Services Include:

Appraisals Archery Camp skills "Indoor" Gyms Emergency Medical Service Equine Activities General Aviation Guest/Working Ranches Guiding

Horses/Livestock Hunting Mountaineering Outfitting Rafting Schools and Safety Tree Stand Equipment Wilderness Medicine

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