By Kenneth J. Braddick-HorseSport USA

The District Attorney for Las Vegas is prepared to deal with complaints from show jumping riders, officials and others whose checks from the $1 million World Invitational bounced.

The Las Vegas World Invitational in mid-October has resulted in checks issued to most riders and officials bouncing or the recipients advised not to cash them as no funds were available. Promises by David R. Shriner, chairman and chief executive officer. and Fairlie Arrow, executive in charge of production for Equus Entertainment that staged the event, to honor an estimated $1 million in outstanding obligations have not been met. Failure to meet financial obligations has already led to cancelation by CBS Television of a 90-minute telecast that had been scheduled for New Year's Eve.

Bernie Zadrowski, chief of the bounced check unit for the Clark County (Las Vegas) District Attorney's office, told HorseSport USA that if complaints are filed by riders and others -- no matter where they live -- whose checks bounced arrest warrants will be sought against the issuer of the checks.

The LVWI Grand Prix with a total purse of $750,000 was won by Rodrigo Pessoa. Other riders in the event included Meredith Michaels Beerbaum, originally from Encino, Calif. who is now Germany’s top rider, Georgina Bloomberg, of New York, a 2005 Budweiser World Cup finalist, 2004 U.S. Olympic team gold medalist McLain Ward and Laura Kraut, who was on seven of eight 2005 U.S. Samsung Super League championship teams.

Zadrowski explained that in Nevada bouncing a check is not only a felony in its own right but can lead to other charges such as theft and obtaining services under false pretenses, which are also felonies and carry prison sentences. In the case of a non-U.S. citizen, which could apply to Fairlie Arrow who moved to the United States from her native Australia after being convicted of staging her own abduction for publicity purposes, conviction could lead to deportation.

Zadrowski said that arrangements have been set up within the unit's system to advise LVWI complainants how to proceed. Shriner said that as a result of "dysfunctional" office management checks were issued from three separate checking accounts

Any person whose check from Equus Entertainment/Las Vegas World Invitational can telephone the bounced check unit on 702-671-4701. Las Vegas is in the U.S. Pacific time zone, three hours behind New York.

The unit will explain how to proceed and send to the complainant a package setting out the process by which a complainant should send by certified mail a letter to the party that issued the check demanding payment within 10 days.

If payment is not received within 10 days, the check that bounced and contains the bank's stamp specifying "N.S.F." -- Not Sufficient Funds -- or similar inscription should be sent with the certified mail receipt to the bounced check unit.

If riders and others whose checks bounced follow the procedure, Zadrowski said, his unit will aggressively pursue payment and, if unsuccessful, seek arrest warrants.