Robert Borba of Eagle Point, Oregon, responded to a woman’s cry for help after a man stole her bike, grabbing his horse, Long John, from his trailer and pursuing the would-be thief, the Medford, Oregon, newspaper Mail-Tribune reported.
“I just roped him and the rope went down around his feet, and I just rode off like I would if I’d roped a cow or something by myself,” Borba told reporters in a KOBI news channel video.
Borba is being called “the Lone Ranger,” “the John Wayne of southern Oregon” and “the Horseback Hero” for his quick actions, according to the news video.
After catching the suspect, Borba called 911 and waited about 15 minutes for the police to take custody of the suspect, according to the Mail-Tribune.
"We've never had anyone lassoed and held until we got there," said Eagle Point Sgt. Darin May in the Mail-Tribune article. "That's a first for me."
Borba grew up in northern California. He professionally competed in rodeos before choosing the life of a rancher and a ranch hand and settling down with his family in southern Oregon a few months ago, the Mail-Tribune reported.
"I use a rope every day; that's how I make my living," Borba said. "If it catches cattle pretty good, it catches a bandit pretty good." 
To see the original news stories, click the links below:
