A federal judge sentenced three co-defendants for their involvement in "horse soring", a practice of damaging horses' hooves to alter their gait for walking horse competitions.

Barney Davis, 39, received the stiffest penalty with one year in prison. Davis has been in custody since July 2011 and will be eligible for release in four months.

U.S. District Judge Harry "Sandy" S. Mattice sentenced co-defendants Christen Altman, 26 and Jeffery Bradford, 33, to one year's probation and a $1,000 fine.

A fourth defendant, Paul Blackburn, 35, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year probation in January.

For more details see tomorrow's Times Free Press.