MICHIGAN’S FAMOUS COWBOY CREDITS THE RJL HORSE & COW CATCHING TEAM AND THE MICHIGAN STATE POLICE FOR ROPING RUNAWAY STEER ON INTERSTATE FREEWAY

The next time a 1,200-pound steer breaks loose and runs wild down the highway, people around the world will know who to call: RJL Horse & Cow Catching of North Adams, Michigan.

Led by RJL co-owner Ricky Littlejohn, a team of skilled professionals roped and safely captured Lester, an enormous, independent-minded, and lightning-fast bovine on May 21 along busy I-75 near Holly, Mich. The steer had been on the run for six weeks, having escaped while being transferred to a farm in north Oakland County.

The action was captured on a Michigan State Police (MSP) cruiser dashcam as Littlejohn rode his young steed, Bucky, to lasso the runaway steer. The video of the brave cowboy riding down the interstate to rope the steer as it tried to jump the median into oncoming traffic went viral on social media. And now RJL’s phone is ringing off the hook.

Going by the millions of views on YouTube and TikTok, Littlejohn the team at RJL are now among the more famous cowpunchers on the planet. And while it may have been just another day at the office for Littlejohn, the viral superstar wants to make certain credit is given to where credit is due.

“We got the call on a Sunday morning reporting a missing steer had been spotted near a quarry, so we headed for Holly,” Littlejohn said. “By the time we arrived, Lester had wandered near the highway and the chase was on. While I roped the steer, it really took an entire team to do the job safely, starting with the Michigan State Police who helped control traffic. RJL brought our horses, our border collie dogs, and expert drivers for our all-terrain vehicles and large animal transport.”

Team members who helped safely corral Lester include Trina Resendez and Austin Collier. RJL co-owner Clay Norris, Littlejohn’s brother, was on assignment out of state. In addition to Michigan, RJL Horse & Cow Catching operates from eastern Illinois, through Indiana and Ohio.

In addition to catching livestock and helping doctor them back to health and serviceability, Littlejohn and his team also provide horse training and large animal transportation services. 

“We would like the people who need us to know good cowboys hail from Michigan,” Resendez said. “This wasn’t a rodeo or practice pen. In some of the most challenging conditions imaginable, Ricky and the team roped a terrified runaway steer and got him home safely. It’s what we do.”

Those in need of RJL Horse and Cow Catching’s services are invited to phone (517) 414-2403 or visit the RJL Facebook page online at https://www.facebook.com/RJLhorses/.