Hours before his debut rodeo last week, a black-and-white bull named Sauce Boss, or maybe Twinkle Toes, made a dash for freedom, disappearing into the scrubby vegetation above the upscale Horse Ranch neighborhood in Snowmass Village, Colorado.
That’s where he remained for the next five days, eluding capture until he was eventually corralled Sunday.
“It kind of just eluded us for a few days," Snowmass Village Police Officer Zach Wilcher told Cowboy State Daily on Monday. "I understand that the owners of the bull were able to retrieve it yesterday."
The bull's identity has sparked confusion among local authorities and media reports. While CBS Colorado identified the animal as "Sauce Boss," Officer Wilcher heard the bull goes by a different name.
"I actually had heard his name as Twinkle Toes," Wilcher told Cowboy State Daily, unable to confirm which name is correct.
Messages left with the Snowmass Rodeo were not returned.
The Professional Bull Riders website lists a bull named Sauce Boss, which was active in 2018-2019. The PBR site also lists a bull named Twinkle Toes. It too was active on the rodeo circuit in 2018-2019. It’s unlikely either is this bull considering he was to make his rodeo debut last Wednesday.
Wilcher described how the animal — its true name still unconfirmed — disappeared.
"Once it kind of moved up into this neighborhood, which is bordered by some open land with really tall, brush type foliage, it kind of disappeared into that area and really wasn't seen until the owners were able to locate it," he said.
"We did use drones, as well as our own position throughout town to try to get eyes on it,” Wilcher added. “And it was just elusive. I thought it probably was just off into the brush somewhere, not really like popping in and out of the neighborhood.”
Rodeo Debut
According to CBS Colorado, this Wednesday's rodeo performance will mark a significant milestone for the escaped bull.
He was scheduled to make its debut appearance at the Snowmass Rodeo last Wednesday when it broke free from handlers during the unloading process.
"Homeowners tell me they hear it's the bull's first year, and this would have been his first rodeo had he not made it out of custody," CBS Colorado's Spencer Wilson reported.
The weekly Wednesday night rodeo represents a cornerstone of summer entertainment in Snowmass Village, and Sauce Boss isn’t the first rodeo animal to make a break for it.
“I have heard that this has happened before, and it's not unusual that maybe a horse or something like that kind of gets loose for a while and has to be wrangled up,” said Wilcher.
Maneuvering Molly
After reading Cowboy State Daily’s initial coverage of Sauce Boss’ bolt to freedom, Joann Howeth — a children’s author in Helena, Montana — reached out to share the story of another cow with Houdini-like talents.
“A heifer in Great Falls escaped Mickey's Packing Plant and ran around town, evading capture for six hours,” said Howeth, recalling the 2006 event. “And then, when she was recaptured and returned to the slaughteryard, the manager didn't have the heart to send her back to the holding pens, so he awarded her with freedom.”
The evasive heifer took on the name “Molly B.” and Howeth said she made the news worldwide before going on to live at three farm animal sanctuaries in Montana until she died in 2015.
“I know all of this because I have written a children's picture book about Molly that was published and released by Blue Balloon Books in April,” said Howeth. “It is a story of survival and of hope that united the locals as they rallied together in support of Molly B.”
To make her escape, Molly B reportedly jumped over a 5.5-foot fence and was nearly run over by a tractor-trailer and a Chevy Suburban as she crossed a busy highway. She then tried to swim across the Missouri River, earning the cow comparisons to the famous heroine who survived the Titanic disaster: Unsinkable Molly Brown.
“Finally, the heifer darned near drowned as she waded into the icy waters of the Missouri River,” reported the Missoulian newspaper in 2014, describing how Molly “tried to cow-paddle to the other side.”
David Madison can be reached at david@cowboystatedaily.com.
