Fears of horse thief on the loose in Wyoming as $25,000 blue roan stallion vanishes then is found dead while another mare of the same breed disappears from a field

Wyoming ranchers suspect a horse thief is on the loose in the state after a stallion and mare – each worth thousands of dollars – mysteriously disappeared before one was found dead.

On January 11, a blue roan stallion named Shadow Hawke went missing from his barn at the Flying V Quarter Horses ranch in Wyoming.

Despite a $5,000 reward for information about the stallion, officials were unable to find him.

But on January 25, the 1,200-pound horse worth $25,000 was discovered near the property’s outdoor arena.

According to the stallion’s owners, their beloved Shadow Hawke suffered a broken shoulder and internal injuries.

In a Facebook post, they wrote: ‘Shadow Hawke has been found. His body was dumped in the outdoor arena sometime during the night of the 24th or early morning of the 25th.

‘The vet’s examination showed that he had a broken shoulder and internal injuries.

“The estimated time of death was three to five days ago, approximately a week after he was taken. Needless to say, the search has stopped, but the mystery continues.”

On January 25, Shadow Hawke, who is worth $25,000, was found dead with a broken shoulder and internal injuries

But before Shadow Hawke disappeared, a blue roan mare named Pepper went missing in the state on December 9.

Her owner, Vicki Kissack, said she was pregnant and believes their beloved horse was stolen.

Vicki said her husband, Clark, flew over their pasture and surrounding land near Rozet last month but couldn’t see Pepper.

The couple noticed that four strands of their pasture’s barbed wire fence had been pushed down, but neither of their horses had any injuries – indicating that the mare worth $14,000 had been stolen.

Vicki described Pepper as the friendliest horse of the bunch and the easiest to steal.

‘Updated to STOLEN! Clark and Elgin flew over the Rozet WY area for over an hour today (December 10) and never found her! Stolen Blue Roan Draft mare from Adon Road Rozet WY Area.

‘No brand but Pepper has a droopy bottom lip and a rasp when she breathes because she was sick when she was younger. She is mated by our blue roan stud, if anyone has a new mare with a gray foal in June, please let us know!’, the couple further wrote Facebook.

On December 9, Pepper, who is pregnant and worth $14,000, went missing

Her owners believe she was stolen after discovering the barbed wire fence on their pasture had been torn down

Vicki also said, “Blue roan Percherons aren’t super rare, but they are harder to come by. The blue roan is currently really hot on the market and has been for a few years.

‘People don’t think about that when they steal other people’s things. I think people who steal think about what it will bring to their lives, not what it will take away from the lives of others.”

Quentin Reynolds, Campbell County Undersheriff, said that while he did not know if there was a connection between Pepper’s disappearance and Shadow Hawke’s temporary disappearance and death, there could be a connection.

Officials are investigating Pepper’s disappearance as theft and are aware of another incident involving a blue roan.

Mary Trostle of the Missing Equine Search & Awareness group shared Cowboy stands daily there was possibility of an organized theft operation.

“They are clearly all three blue grizzles, and they are all breeding,” the expert said.