WILD HORSE ROUNDUPS
CATTOOR LIVESTOCK ROUNDUP, INC.

On September 16, 2011 Cattoor Livestock Roundup, Inc was doing a wild horse gather in Southwestern Colorado in Spring Creek which is located in Disappointment Valley. There were many observers and several protesters present that day. A viewing area had been chosen up on the hill above the trap and temporary holding site. The helicopter did not start herding the wild horses until afternoon because of a mechanical problem that had to be addressed. A small airplane had circled the area several times during the morning hours. The helicopter was bringing in the second band of wild horses when this airplane suddenly appeared and flying very low above the helicopter followed it all the way up the wings of the trap. Dave Cattoor was down on the wings with the Judas horse and told the pilot that the airplane was just above him and to stay very low and then to land as soon as he could safely do so. That is what the pilot did. The airplane made another circle and flew down very low beside the helicopter on the ground and then flew low over the observers on the hill and at the entrance gate. There was a photographer hanging out of the window of the plane taking video or pictures.

Dave and Troy Cattoor and the pilot then met with the BLM COR and PI’s overseeing the gather operation and when it appeared the airplane has left the area they decided to put the helicopter back in the air and bring in another band of wild horses. The pilot had just picked up another band not very far from the trap when the airplane suddenly showed up again. Someone there at the gather observation site had contact with the airplane and was telling him when and where the helicopter was. This time the airplane again flew very close to and parallel with the helicopter. The photographer was still hanging out the window taking pictures. As the helicopter brought the wild horses close to the wings of the trap the airplane moved ahead and turned the wild horses in front of the helicopter causing them to go up the hill. The airplane pilot was harassing the wild horses and trying to turn them out of the wings of the trap. He was once aging very close to the helicopter putting the pilot in danger. Dave again told the helicopter pilot to land as soon as he could. When the helicopter was safely on the ground we shut down for the day.

We reported this incident to the FAA and they are doing an investigation of the pilot. The observers working with this pilot are just as guilty and really do not care about the wild horses. They only care about themselves, getting close up pictures no matter what, and their own notoriety. Our pilots do everything they can to herd the wild horse to the trap as humanely as possible. They should not be put in this kind of a dangerous situation.. Nor should the wild horses be subjected to this extra stress. Our wranglers, the BLM personnel and the other observers should not have been put in this kind of danger either. The actions of this pilot and these other individuals was very irresponsible. This only gives the good advocates and others a bad name, which is sad because most of the public coming out to observe the roundups are really good people who just care about the wild horses.