DILLON — Calm, collected, friendly, a lover of children, a horse with long legs — this is how Ricochet, Dillon Police Department's well-loved mounted patrol horse, will be remembered. He died Sunday after a quick battle with intestinal issues.

“He was a big guy,” said his partner and caretaker Sgt. Wendy Kipple. “I couldn't see over his back.”

Born on March 30, 2001, the 9-year-old gray Quarter Horse/Friesian cross was bred specifically for the position. As an adult, Ricochet weighed 1,300 pounds and stood 16 hands tall (one hand equaling 4 inches).

“I think that Ricochet will be sadly missed in the Town of Dillon,” said councilman Doug Roessell. “He and Wendy have been at many events representing the Town and the police department, and we will miss the uniqueness of his presence.”

A lover of kids, peppermint candy

According to Kipple, Ricochet died Sunday after quickly sickening Friday. He simply never recovered.

“Horses don't tolerate pain well, and when they lay down it can twist the gut,” Kipple said. “He kept getting worse.”

Though Ricochet made it to an animal hospital in Littleton, his vital signs never stabilized and surgery wasn't an option. The specifics of his ailment were unclear.

“He was part of the PD since he was 4,” Kipple said. “Every Sunday we'd go out to the park by the ampitheatre for a meet and greet. The kids came to pet him.”

And Ricochet loved the kids, Kipple added. They'd feed him dandelions and peppermint candies, and they'd stand on the picnic table to hug him and pet him on the nose.

“He'd stop to let the kids pet him,” she added.

Ricochet also went to the Keystone Science School every year to be a part of the camp's outdoor instruction.

“He was a great horse, great for the community,” said Dillon's Mayor Ron Holland said. “He interacted so well with the children.”

Though he didn't like sailboats or water, Kipple said Ricochet learned to tolerate them and that he was a valued patrol horse in the department. And he even had his own Facebook page — Ricochet's Horse Tales.

“He had 95 fans from all over the country,” Kipple said. “There are lots of pictures of him out on patrol.”

Dillon's PD doesn't have plans to replace Ricochet in the near future.

SDN reporter Caitlin Row can be reached at (970) 668-4633 or at crow@summitdaily.com.