Cesar Parra Sued in Federal Lawsuit for Alleged Fraud Over Ownership of Mare
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April 9, 2024
By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
Cesar Parra, “provisionally suspended” from competition for accusations of horse abuse, is being sued in a federal civil suit for alleged fraud and other charges over the ownership of a mare on which he was disqualified for a drug violation at Dressage at Devon CDI in 2021.
The lawsuit seeking a jury trial was filed on behalf of Brooke Centrella of Ramsey, New Jersey in the U.S. District Court in New Jersey against Cesar Parra and Piaffe Performance, Inc. Parra had been based in the state at the time but has since consolidated his operations in Jupiter, Florida.
At issue is ownership of the horse Belle Ami, a Westfalen mare now 15 years old that was bred in Germany and is registered by the U.S. Equestrian Federation on the FEI–International Equestrian Federation–database as jointly owned by Brooke Centrella and Cesar Parra, beginning in 2015.
The 19-page lawsuit was filed by attorney Steven M. Tarshis on behalf of Brooke Centrella and dated Jan. 26, 2024, alleges that a signed letter agreement by the parties valued the horse at $258,000 in late 2014. Centrella agreed to pay $129,500 to become an equal 50% owner with Parra. Parra is reported in the suit to have told Centrella the horse could be worth as much as $650,000 over time.
The lawsuit with a copy of the letter agreement attached stated that Centrella had the right to purchase full ownership of Belle Ami for payment of another $125,000.
According to the suit, she notified Parra in 2018 she would exercise the right to buy full ownership.
Five equal payments of $25,000 were paid to Parra throughout 2018, the suit alleges.
Parra, according to the suit, refused requests for bills of sale for the original purchase in Germany and the ownership changes as well as Belle Ami’s passport.
“In the absence of a bill of sale proving that the defendant (Parra) is the legal owner of Belle, the horse cannot be sold,” the suit said.
“The lack of a bill of sale coupled with the fact that the plaintiff (Centrella) has no proof or bill of sale from the person that sold the horse to the Plaintiff and the Defendants (Parra) to establish that he was the lawful owner of the horse, makes the sale of the horse by the plaintiff impossible.
“Since the horse cannot be sold, Belle has no present value and, at the very least, the plaintiff has suffered a loss of the entire original purchase price.”
In addition to accusing Parra of fraud, Centrella has listed breaches of contract and of fiduciary duties.
Belle Ami was declared CDI3* Small Tour champion at Dressage at Devon, Pennsylvania in 2021. However, discovery of a banned medication in the horse led to disqualification by the FEI. The USEF failed to impose the penalties for more than a year until the organization was notified of the case by the same attorney who represents Centrella.
Parra, who rode for his native Colombia at the 2004 Olympics, the 2002 and 2006 World Equestrian Games for the United States at the 2011 Pan American Games and the 2014 World Cup Final, was temporarily suspended by the FEI from competition anywhere in the world effective Feb. 2 this year after widespread exposure of videos displaying horse abuse.
The German Equestrian Federation and a number of horse breeding associations in Germany took disciplinary action against some individuals in Europe that were seen in the videos to be linked to Parra’s ill treatment of horses.
The U.S. federation said in February it “will pursue disciplinary action to the highest degree” against Parra.
No federation action has yet been announced.
No action has been reported by the U.S. Center for Safe Sport to which some individuals have reported making complaints to the body set up by Congress.
