‘Cowboy’ deputies on horseback lasso bull charging near Florida highway
Sheriff deputies in Collier County, Florida successfully lassoed a bull that was loose near a busy highway.
Collier County Sheriffs Office Agriculture Bureau Sgt. David Estes with his horse, Sampson, and volunteer Ricky Garcia with his horse, Bullseye, were on patrol in Immokalee shortly after 5 p.m on July 30 when they received a report of a ‘loose cow.’
They responded to SR-29 near Johnson Road, a busy two-lane section of highway. It was rush hour traffic, so the danger to the motoring public was high.
Patrol deputies shut down the road while Estes and Garcia attempted to lasso the bull.
“The bull was not happy and was charging everyone,” said deputies.
The 1,200 lb bull charged several times before they were able to get a rope on him.
Sgt. Estes threw the rope around the bull’s neck as Sampson held the bull. When the bull went down on the ground, volunteer Garcia jumped off Bullseye and onto the bull to hold him down. The bull’s feet were tied together and he was safely loaded into the Sheriff’s Office stock trailer.
“These horses always give their all and are a vital component of the agency’s resources used to keep our community safe,” said deputies.
A post from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office shows footage of the capture.