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Cattoor Livestock RoundupsBelow are photocopies and excerpts from a few of the letters we have received from the BLM and horse organizations over the years. Click on photos for larger views of the originals. The first letter is from Velma Johnson, better known as "Wild Horse Annie."
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
VELMA B. JOHNSTON GORDON W. HARRIS HELEN A. REILLY JOHN REILLY DAVID R. BELDING JACK C. Me ELWEE LOUISE C. HARRISON, Trustee Emeritus WHOA! WILD HORSE ORGANIZED ASSISTANCE INC. A Foundation for the Welfare of Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros P. O. Box 555 Reno, Nevada 895C Telephone 323-5908 Area Code 702 September 25, 1975 Mr. Dave Cattoor, Box 142, Maybell, Colorado 81640 Dear Mr. Cattoor: To the glowing reports on your capabilities given to me by Barbara Austin and Darrell Arnold, I wish to add the "thank you" of this organization and of me personally. I was deeply disturbed at the journalistic sensationalism in the Pabst article, and am delighted that THE SENTINEL published the letters to the editor in which the allegations of the reporter were proved false. This is too sensitive an issue for a reporter to indulge in irresponsible reporting. We have been involved in a gathering of 400 wild horses in Central Nevada from an area that is so overgrazed there must be a drastic reduction in ALL grazing pressures, including domestic livestock, before the range is irreparably damaged. An Eastern horse protection group has filed a suit in federal court to halt the gathering, and charges of brutality have been made by affidavit of a member of that organization. Two of our people have just returned from a week spent in a surveillance assignment, and they report it to be a smooth and well conducted operation. BLM personnel are handling it by water trapping, and we have screened 600 applicants for BLM to make the final decision as to recipients for the excess horses under a custodial agreement with the government. Again, thank you for your expertise and for having the sort of crew of cowboys you had to carry it out. Velma B. Johnson (Mrs. Charles C.) Chairman - Board of Trustees 
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF MUSTANGS &
BURROS
11790 DEODAR WAY RENO, NEVADA 89506 INCORPORATED -May 28,1965 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE December 19, 1979 TELEPHONE (702) 972-1989 Helen A. Reilly, President John Borzea, Executive Vice-President Betty Kuphaldt, Secretary Jim Clapp Chuck John Alan Kania Lucy O'Brien Dave Cattoor Box 142 Maybell, Colorado 81640 Dear Dave: Thank you for your letter of December 13th letting me know that Y0U have been awarded the contract to gather the excess wild horses for the Elko, Nevada District near Curry, Nevada, and for your invitation to observe the gathering. we plan to be in attendance. I agree, there have been many abuses and injuries to wild horses gathered by mounted riders, from various Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service Districts, from lack of knowledge in handling the animals. A lot of time and money wasted, stress and injuries to the horses, and very, very few gathered. This is why we oppose to gatherings such as done in roping by mounted riders. However, I, also, agree there is no concievable reason why we should object to capture and removal of excess wild horses by qualified contractors who have proven themselves capable in similar difficult capture situations. I strongly feel if a contract is properly let, payment should be made to the contractor only when removal was accomplished .•• thus no possibility should exist of wasting taxpayers dollars on any unsuccessful attempts. Again, I do commend you, and your crew, for the excellent work done in the Red Desert area in Wyoming. I was very much impressed with your work, especially your patience when working around the gathered horses. With best wishes to you and your family for a Very Happy Holiday season. Most sincerely yours, Helen A. Reilly (Mrs. John W.) Wild Horse & Burro Sanctuary - Carey Ranch, Alturas, California 
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Dear Dave and Sue:  United States Department of Agriculture Animal Plant Health Inspection Service Dr. Gary W. Church 3011 South Biscay Circle Aurora, Colorado 80013 (303) 617-9228 DATE: 27 October, 1999 TO: Dr. Bill Buisch, Dr. Jerry Diemer, Mr. Bob Schmidt, Mr. John Melhoff, and Mr. Jim Cagney. SUBJECT: Trip Report, White River (Meeker) Wild Horse Gather. This is the second wild horse gather that I have been able to attend. The first gather a the Little Books Cliffs, north of Grand Junction was organized and performed with the cooperation of the Grand Junction office of the BLM and the "Friends of Mustangs", local animal advocate group. That gather was extremely well done and both groups worked together to reach the required Appropriate Management Level (AML).
The gather at Meeker was very well done. This gather
was done with the White River BLM office and with the assistance of a
contractor, Mr. David Cattoor. This gather was done at the Piceance -
East Douglas herd management area. ...
 United States Department of the Interior BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT White River Resource Area P.O. Box 928 Meeker, Colorado 81641 October 20, 1997 Troy Cattoor PO Box 409 Nephi, Utah 84648 Dear Troy, Please accept my thanks for the outstanding work accomplished by you and your crew during our 1997 Piceance Wild Horse Removal. Your experience and skills were obvious to all of us who worked the project with you as well as to our assorted observers. I am pleased to report that media coverage of this removal project was the most positive and supportive of any I have seen to date. Part of the reason for this support was the apparent ease and care with which each of you completed your various tasks. Observers recognized you as professionals in your field, a true compliment in light of the controversy that Colorado removals have caused in the recent past. The expertise exhibited by your pilot Jim Hicks throughout the gather portion of the project did not go unnoticed. The Piceance country can admittedly be rough to navigate and the wild horses have some helicopter savvy. Jim's patience and diligence are to be commended. While preparation of wild horses for adoption is not usually part of a removal contract, in Colorado our horse specialists are also responsible for this facet of management. Processing wild horses demands hands-on skill with wild animals; my crew had nothing but praise for those of you who helped process animals at our corrals. Finally, we do appreciate your critique of our Yellow Creek Holding Facility. Your suggestions of corral and chute design improvements are being considered and will most likely be completed prior to our next removal. Hopefully you will be able to test these improvements yourself next time you work in our resource area. Again, all of us thank you for a project well accomplished. Please extend our appreciation to Jim Hicks and to your ground crew. We look forward to working with you in the future. Sincerely, John J. Mehlhoff Area Manager cc: pogacnik, NV-960 Hughes, BC-662 
Memorandum
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Rock Springs District Office 280 Highway 191 North Rock Springs, Wyoming 82901 November 6, 1997 State Director, Montana (910) Ron Hall, COR Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Gather Performance of Contractor The sensitive and controversial nature of the gather recently completed on the PMWHR required the highest level of professionalism from the contractor. Dave Cattoor of Cattoor Livestock Round-up delivered more than could have been expected. Dave and his crew were in tune with the special parameters and demands of this gather and did an excellent job. Seldom-perhaps never-has the attention of the media and interest groups been more focused on a gather. In the center of this attention, the contractor preformed flawlessly. My thanks go to the Contractor for a JOB WELL DONE!
Ron Hall
cc. Tim Murray, D.M. BLM, Miles City District C.O. LaVonna Hughes, Denver BLM, Denver Federal Service Burton Williams, A.M. BLM, Billings Resource Area 
Mr. Calvin Joiner
Area Manager - San Juan Resource Bureau of Land Management Federal Building 701 Camino del Rio Durango, Colorado 81301 November 7, 1995 Thank you for the opportunity to observe the Spring Creek Wild Horse Removal on October 15 thru 17, and the initial phases of the Adoption process at Breen, Colorado on October 27, 1995. The overall planning and implementation of both the gather operation and initial processing were excellent. I was particularly impressed with the performance of Cattoor Livestock Roundup Company, their facilities, their operational philosophy, and the care with which the horses were handled. Of particular note were: trap location and construction, the ability and consideration displayed by the helicopter pilot, the employment of 'Judas' horses, and the skill and concern demonstrated by Cattoor personnel when roping of horses was required. I would also like to complement Bureau of Land Management personnel involved with the operation for their efforts and consideration for the animals and their future. Mr Wayne Werkmeister of the San Juan Resource Area developed and orchestrated a complex operation which proved successful well beyond the simple removal of horses deemed excess on the range. The coordination and use of local media before, during, and after the gather was a very positive step, as were his efforts to minimize conflict with area hunters, and the provision of health test data on each horse to adopters. I believe that Mr. Werkmeister's genuine concern for the welfare of these animals during all phases of the operation has been a major factor in garnering local support for the Bureau's Wild Horse and Burro management efforts. I would also like to extend my compliments to Mr. John Hawkes of the Montrose District Office for the assistance which he provided throughout the operation. His long association and experience with the Wild Horses in this Herd area were as evident as his personal feelings for the welfare of the animals that were removed and those remaining on range. The planning, preparation, and conduct of this entire operation can be viewed as a credit to all of the involved BLM and Contractor personnel charged with carrying out policies which are often difficult and shortsighted. I would suggest that in the future, such individuals be given a much larger voice in overall policy development for the Wild Horse and Burro Program. While observing the operations conducted at Spring Creek, the facilities for temporary holding at Dry Creek Basin, and the preparations for adoption at Breen, I noted several conditions which I believe should be addressed in future management plans and removal operations, which I have listed below. ... 
United States Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Utah State Office 324 South State, Suite 301 Salt Lake City, Utah 84111-2303 Mr. Dave Cattoor P.O. Box 289 Nephi, Utah 84648 Dear Mr. Cattoor: MAY 1 5 1992 Please accept my appreciation for the outstanding work you and your crew have done for the Utah wild horse program and others like it throughout the West. Gathering horses for the Bureau of Land Management can be as much hard work as fun. I'm sure you have experienced more of the hard work than the fun; however, to us and much of the public, you make it appear very easy and enjoyable. Recently, a television report from our Cedar Mountain roundup mentioned how easy you make the arduous task appear. To many, the work you do behind the scenes goes unnoticed. We value the care and appreciation you exhibit for the public's wild horses--in particular, your capture techniques, which are designed with the horse's welfare as the primary consideration. Wild horse adoptions are our principal means of managing their population. The success of these adoptions depends on how well we promote their availability. In every regard, you have demonstrated a willingness to work for the public and with the media by selecting capture sites that lend themselves to reporters and their cameras. The public wants to know about the process, and your added efforts help deliver this to their living rooms. Also, we recently tested a method of taking potential adopters to the capture site to consider selecting a horse we normally would have returned to the range. Our initial test at the Cedar Mountains was quite successful, placing 28 horses with adopters. This new marketing technique helped us improve the efficiency of our adoption and further benefited rangeland resources by removing additional excess horses from the range. The sorting ,,'our crew provided was instrumental in making this event a success. Again, we appreciate your efforts and the goodwill you have gained for the wild horse program in Utah. With teamwork and greater public understanding, wild horse management efforts can be a reasonable task; and you have certainly done your part. Sincerely,
James M. Parker
State Director
  Click on photos for larger views 2009 Article from the Cody Enterprise 10/21/09 
"94 wild horses head for adoption BLM completed "a perfect gather" of 191 wild horses in the McCullough Peaks, with 94 horses trucked to Rock Springs for eventual adoption. Spokesman Sarah Beckwith said the horses will be available for adoption at Rock Springs within about 30 days. Those not adopted there will be brought back to the Cody-Powell area in the spring for a local adoption, she added. A total of 97 horses were returned to the range, where the agency has a target management level of about 100 horses, Beckwith added. About half the returned horses were mares or younger fillies, and half were stallions or colts. During the helicopter-only roundup, no horses sustained injuries except possibly minor scratches sustained in the corrals, Beckwith said. Of those 97 animals returned to the range, 34 mares were treated with birth control to keep herd growth in check. "About 100 horses are out there" in the peaks, she added. Beckwith said an estimated dozen "loner" horses, possibly older animals too wild to rounded up, evaded the helicopter and remained on the range. "They were on the outskirts of the herd management area," Beckwith said. The agency contracted with Cattoor Co. from Utah to do all its Wyoming roundups this fall Once the McCullough Peaks gather was finished, they moved on to the 15·Mile herd managed by the Worland District, where about 300 horses are targeted for gathering from a herd of up to 350 animals. They will be taken to Rock Springs for adoption to avoid the BLM competing with the Worland sale ring, Beckwith said. "At McCullough Peaks, the helicopter was not pushing the horses - it hung back and let them choose the course," Beckwith said. "It was more like they were guiding them, " She said a trained "pilot horse" was haltered and held near the jute-fenced wings leading to the corrals. The pilot horse was released as his wild counterparts approached, and he led the wild horses into the trap, knowing ('there was' nice hay and water "waiting for' everyone ." "He was well trained," Beckwith said. "It was an exceptional gather." " Letter from the BLM Click on photos for larger views "Thank you for the excellent services you provided during the recent 2009 Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range gather. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was very impressed with your willingness and ability to perform these services with the amount of public scrutiny present at the gather. Your crew's exceptional skills in gathering and handling wild horses and your willingness to work with the public resulted, in my opinion, as the finest gather operation in the history of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range. You and your crew handled everything in an exemplary courteous and professional manner. The Billings Field Office appreciates the hard work and effort put forward in gathering Pryor Mountain wild horses. Your extraordinary efforts helped make the Pryor gather an example of how to safely and humanely gather wild horses under extraordinary circumstances. Thank you for a job well done." James M. Sparks, Field Manager |
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