On Monday, April 6, 2026, former Maryland polo player and traveling veterinarian, Gregory Ford DVM, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Florida on three counts of allegedly grooming and sexually abusing minors, and one count of sending threatening communications, all connected to his veterinary practice. Ford was initially arrested in Ocala, Florida, on September 23, 2025, and has been in the Marion County jail since then. The arrest was covered widely in the national sport horse press at the time.
The federal grand jury in Ocala indicted Ford on three counts of transporting a victim under the age of 18 across state lines for the purpose of engaging in sexual contact with a minor, and one count of sending threatening voice and text messages to another person, reportedly the mother of one of the minors.
According to court records, the text said “If you choose to continue your crusade, I have already paid a dear friend from the CIA to long rifle a bullet in your chest.”
This March, the US Equestrian Federation suspended Ford for SafeSport violations, which the SafeSport disciplinary database describes as “Criminal Disposition – involving a minor; Criminal Disposition – Sexual Misconduct.”
One of the minor victims released the following statement through her law firm:
“I was traveling with five other young people near my age [and] many saw this as a valuable opportunity in the equine industry. In fact, there were more than 10-15 young women, ages 14 to 24, who wanted the same opportunity. He, however, chose carefully. What should have been a positive, career-building experience was turned into something deeply damaging and harmful.”
Ford lived in Poolesville during the 1990s and played polo around the region.
