A Deaver woman accused of starving more than three dozen horses last winter must pay thousands of dollars in court fees and restitution, and she will be placed on probation for the next five years after pleading guilty to 10 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty.

As part of a plea agreement with the Park County Attorney's office, the other 29 cruelty charges were dismissed against 23-year old Stephanie Francis.

Francis, who was sentenced and released on Wednesday, had been jailed since Aug. 14 on allegations that, while out on bond on the cruelty charges, she rode and roughly whipped a horse at the Cody Nite Rodeo.

After changing her plea to guilty, Stephanie Francis was ordered to pay $150 in crime victim compensation and $30 in court costs on each of the 10 counts of cruelty — coming to $1,800, said Deputy Park County Attorney Tim Blatt. She must pay another $1,108 in restitution. Additionally, Francis will serve five years of unsupervised probation, during which time she may not possess or be the primary caregiver for any horses or livestock.

Circuit Court Judge Bruce Waters sentenced her to 100 days in jail, but 95 days were suspended, and Francis already served the other five, Blatt said.

She and her husband, Brian Michael Francis, 25, each were charged with 39 counts of animal cruelty in February, after Park County Sheriff's Deputies found and seized 39 horses in poor health on the Francis' rented property outside Ralston. In court documents, Deputy Jessica Campbell reported that the animals had no food. “Some of these horses were emaciated and barely alive, and others were in poor health,” Campbell wrote.

While being inspected by law enforcement on Feb. 15, one of the animals collapsed, and later had to be euthanized. The restitution ordered in Stephanie Francis' case will be used to pay veterinary and food bills incurred by the county in caring for the horses.

That number, $1,108, is fairly low, because soon after the sheriff's office seized the horses, Michael Francis voluntarily relinquished them to the Wyoming Livestock Board. Ten were reclaimed by their Billings owner and the other 28 were adopted out to local homes.

Michael Francis — who has pleaded not guilty to the charges — allegedly told a sheriff's deputy that the couple didn't have the money to adequately feed the horses.

Stephanie Francis' guilty plea came just two days after Waters revoked Francis' $2,500 personal signature bond, finding she had violated a condition that she not own or possess any horses or livestock.

Deputy County Attorney Blatt said Francis had apparently been riding in the Cody Nite Rodeo this summer.

A sworn affidavit from brand inspector Dan Hadden submitted to the court on Aug. 12 said Stephanie Francis was seen “whipping (a) horse excessively during the grand entry” at a July 1 rodeo performance in Cody.

Hadden said Francis' behavior drew a warning from rodeo producer Ike Sankey that she would no longer be allowed around the arena.

With the rodeo perhaps a source of income for the Francis' three children, “I was kind of letting it slide,” Blatt said. “Then we got the report that she was being so rough with the horse.”

With bond revoked, Francis would have had to stay in jail until the case was resolved or if the judge decided to reset her bond.

A jury trial for Stephanie Francis had been scheduled for Oct. 15 — the same day Michael Francis is slated to be tried on his 39 charges.