Owner held at border on marijuana charges

A British Columbia-based owner and breeder was arrested Oct. 20 by United States Customs officials at the Sumas, Wash., border crossing, where officials said he was attempting to smuggle a large amount of marijuana into the United States.

Authorities said the owner, Erich Kreppenhofer, 60, and an accomplice, Paul Shedeger, 68, were found to have 333 pounds of marijuana in a horse trailer when they tried to cross the U.S. border. The marijuana was discovered in the nose section of the trailer where it was concealed in 10 hockey-equipment bags.

According to Mike Milne, press officer for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the estimated value of the marijuana is $1 million.

Kreppenhofer, who raced under Northland Enterprises Inc., had 10 horses registered at Hastings, and he runs a breeding farm in Abbortsford, British Columbia, a suburb of Vancouver.

Kreppenhofer appeared in court in Seattle on Wednesday, and according to Emily Langlie, spokesperson for the U.S District Court, he will remain in custody until he can come up with a cash bond of $100,000.