A former jockey who once captured a victory at a national athletic meet has been arrested in Tochigi Prefecture for allegedlly stealing and selling four horses that had been raised for food, police said.
Kazuki Tsuruta, 26, is being held on suspicion of selling the horses for a combined ¥1 million to a breeder in Kyushu after stealing them from a stable in Shimotsuke, Tochigi Prefecture, on Aug. 3, the police said.
In 2006, Tsuruta won the top prize for equestrian jumping at a national meet. He has also been involved in the livestock industry, according to people who know him.