Once emaciated, former Hill horse is winning awards

Decatur Daily Democrat:

It's a long way back from being partially starved to being a well-groomed 850-pound specimen on the verge of greatness.

That, however, is the arc of life so far for a four-year-old Arabian stallion named Merllinn, once owned by Rick Hill of rural Decatur and a victim of neglect on Hill's property west of Decatur.

Merllinn is now owned by Bill Miller of rural Decatur, a knowledgeable horse fancier and trainer who has nine of the formerly emaciated horses that were taken from Hill by court order in 2009 due to lack of food.

Miller says Merllinn, born at Hill's horse farm, was not one of the worst cases when he got him, but was considerably underweight.