Story originally posted by Horsecity.com Staff

Wednesday, December 5, 2001, A.M.

We just received an e-mail asking that we pass the following information along about a horse owned by Troy Hipsag that was stolen November 24th. Please take time to copy this and pass it along.


"If you don't know by now, Troy's heel horse Bones was stolen from the USTRC roping on Sat. Nov. 24. I was hoping that you all could help us out by emailing and telling every horse person you know. Troy and I are hoping that if we can get the word out to enough people, that eventually someone will see him.

Here is a detailed description: 6 year old red roan gelding, no white markings, black mane and tail, hot iron brand FJ on the right hip. He stands about 15 hands, weighs 1150 pounds. Bones has a crescent shaped scar on the inside of his right front leg several inches above the knee. He was taken from the Colorado Fall Championships USTRC roping between the hours of 2-4 p.m. He was tied next to another horse (who wasn't taken) at Troy's Rope the Rockies trailer in the northeast parking lot at the events center in Denver.

We are offering a reward to anyone who has information leading to his return.
These are the people to contact: Troy Hipsag 970-371-7123 or 970-834-1041 Operation Livestock Theft/Brand Inspector 1-800-332-4155 Denver Police Department.

We would both greatly appreciate any suggestions you guys would have as far as places to put ads in horse publications, on the internet, people to call, or anyone who is a known horse thief or just acts suspicious. So far we have ads in the Super Looper, Dally Times, Roper Sports News, Wrangler, Rocky Mtn Roper, Tri State Livestock News, & prorodeohorses.com. We have also filed reports with the Brand Inspectors, the Denver police dept. , Wyo sheriffs dept..

Info is supposed to be going out to all states with brand laws and sale barns. If you guys can think of someplace in particular (especially in the states w/o brand laws like Kansas, Oklahoma, and anywhere east of the Platte River i.e. eastern S. Dakota and Nebraska) that a person should send a flyer, do let us know.

I guess I should note that we are fairly positive the person that took Bones was someone who had seen Troy rope on him around Colorado or Wyoming, because Troy hadn't even rode him at the roping he was stolen from! I suppose that if Bones turns up, it would probably be at a roping or rodeo. So... we would appreciate any suggestions you may have, or if you could just pass the word along to everyone you know.

Thank you!
Barbara Hartwig
Southernhart Ranch