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Horses graze on property owned by entertainer Wayne Newton in Las Vegas Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010.
By Dave Toplikar (contact) 
Thursday, June 14, 2012 | 1:01 p.m.
Wayne Newton’s herd of 51 Arabian horses will get to stay on the Casa de Shenandoah property, a Clark County District Court judge ruled today.
“It’s truly one of the finest herds in the world,” the longtime Las Vegas entertainer said outside the courtroom after a hearing this morning. “It took 50 years to create this herd. People come from all over the world to see them and buy them. We’re very proud of them.”
Today’s court action was the latest involving a dispute between Newton and his partners over creating a tourist attraction at the 39.5-acre estate at 6629 South Pecos Road.
A lawsuit was filed last month by Newton’s partner, CSD LLC, complaining that the project, which was expected to open in February 2011, was derailed because Newton and his family have interfered with and frustrated development plans.
In today’s action, Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez denied a motion by CSD LLC, which is developing the attraction at the property to showcase Newton’s life, to move the horses.
CSD, which is partly owned by Newton and his wife, had filed a motion asking the judge for permission to have the herd boarded in the Mount Charleston area at the expense of the Newtons.
Doreen Hartwell, CSD’s attorney, argued that since June 2010, along with paying the Newtons $19.5 million for the property and investing millions of dollars into renovating it, CSD has spent about $888,000 to feed, house and care for the horses.
In the motion, Hartwell says CSD can’t afford to continue paying the $37,000 monthly cost to care for the herd while the planned attraction “languishes in an unfinished state.”
Part of the plan for the attraction involve horse shows at the property, although here has been a disagreement between the Newtons and the developers as to how many horses would be needed for the shows.
The developers say only 20 horses are needed — and they don’t want to lease or buy any of Newton’s horses for the shows.
CSD says that because the property has only about 15 acres of pasture or grazing land, there should be between 10 to 15 horses kept there.
Stephen Peek, Newton’s attorney, argued that the horses were a major part of the attraction and that using other horses would be “defrauding” vistors.
Peek said the Newtons were pleased by the outcome but had no other comment regarding the ongoing legal dispute.
wow, horses are treated better than humans.
... Covered a-GALA-horse sale at "Casa de Shenandoah" when I was "Entertainment Editor" at "The Valley Times" in NLV! ('79) Was also writing for "Billboard Magazine" & reviewed Wayne many times at the Frontier Hotel/Casino.
Comment removed by moderator. Name Calling
You know, I used to think Wayne was just an old has been, one hit wonder.
But, now I believe on top of that he still sadly imagines himself as a somebody who is still the king of Vegas. Yet, as we are finding out more and more, the king has no clothes.
Newton must be some kind of genius - he finds someone to 'buy' some of his land - then he just continues to live on it - all the while having someone else foot the bill for maintaining his animals while he, again, continues on with the main control - there seems to be some dummies in this scenario but I don't think Newton is one of them LOL
Mr. Newton is an icon and he also is a human being with feelings just like the rest of us. He entered this agreement in good faith and trusted the people behind this venture. Little did he know the snakes he would be working with until they finally crawl from under the rock they lived.
I have had the opportunity to be on the property for several occasions throughout the years for benefits, etc. The estate was simply beautiful with beautiful roses lining the driveway into the estate. I also had the opportunity to be on the estate a month before this project started and it was not in the despair that Mr. Kennedy claims but well kept and beautiful.
To state in the press that Mr. Newton mistreated his animals is a total lie. Mr. Newton would never mistreat any animal. He has proven his love for any animal in many ways. If he mistreated animals then why did they give him all the birds that that woman was hoarding. I also remember an occasion at the Las Vegas Hilton where a duck had wandered and was giving birth to some ducks on their property and they call Wayne to take and care for them.
If the project is suppose to be giving horse shows then why would you remove his horses. This is suppose to be a project honoring Wayne Newton not trying to ruin his good name. It seems to me that they have misled Mr. Newton when he went into this agreement. Why did you also remove the WN from the gates when you are trying to push this estate as a tour? Once again, Kennedy is playing games.
It seems to me that Kennedy has really mismanaged his position on this project and because of his failures is trying to ruin the names of good people the Newton's, so that he can keep in the good graces of the Harbers. Wake up and smell the coffee people. When this project began and it looked like when Steve Kennedy wasn't given his way he tried to sue a neighbor which he was told he had to drop. So now to make himself look good he is fabricating all these lies against the Newton's. This man (Kennedy) needs to crawl back under the rock he crawled out of.
We are not privy to the contract between the legendary Wayne Newton and one of his business partners, CSD LLC, so it is hard to say (other than the judge directing), what is right here.
Since I have been in the horse industry for over a half century, and do know that Wayne Newton's Arabian Horses are very well known around the world, it would be an absolute shock to go to the estate and find any other kind of horse. It would be fraud, bait and switch, and extremely disappointing beyond all measure! It would not only tarnish his reputation, but Las Vegas' as well! In this case, the judge made the RIGHT decision!
Blessings and Peace,
Star
to Scorpio25- you must have left your glasses at home and had something stuck up your nose not to have seen what I saw and smelled the urine barn. Wayne's place was a manure filled dustbowl. Did you happen to see the thirty or so horses who lived in that back paddock filled with manure? I guess not. Did you see the penguin pond...oh no the water was so filthy you couldn't see a shark in there. And how about that poor wallaby who was dying because they never called a vet about her teeth. You must have gone to a place down the street or you are related to the Newtons ...
Hoarding sent those birds to Wayne because of his alleged reputation and image which is a total sham. Do you know how most of those little lovebirds died? His vicious dogs got into the aviary and killed about 75 of them. I hope the duck faired better but I doubt it.
to smcgrath: First I am not related to the Newton's in any way or means. Just speaking the truth instead of lies. You must be related to Kennedy and still trying to feed lies. The truth will come out in the end and Mr. Kennedy has already has two strikes against him so I guess we will wait and see.