‘Unicorn’ Captured in Madera, California

Was that a unicorn that a California Highway Patrol helicopter captured on Wednesday in Madera?

Not quite, but it looked like one. A horse called “Juliette” that was crowned with a fake horn escaped from a children’s party.

The horse was captured after its first flight to freedom but escaped again near Avenue 12, prompting CHP to join with Renee Pardy, a nearby neighbor with her horse, “Shady,” to retrieve the renegade mythological creature, according to CBS Sacramento.

Pardy said, “They had met before and I kind of just walked off with my horse and she followed and luckily we had another Ranchos resident to help get us on the property and get her into a closed spot.”

Sandra Boos, “Juliette”’s owner, said, “She was running amok in a couple of orchards with some white blooms, so she kind of blended in with the scenery as well and she’s not real tall so she turned out to be stealthier than we imagined.” Sandra Boos’ daughter, 5-year-old Tatum, told Wish TV, “I love my pony. She likes apples and carrots.” She explained what happened: “She got afraid and then she pulled it out of the guys hand and then she runned away … I was afraid and then we had to catch her in the dark.”

California Highway Patrol Officer Josh McConnell said, “The calls were coming in as a unicorn running around out there on the roadway.”

Sandra Boos concluded, “The call came out ‘the unicorn was in custody’ and I think as tense as the situation was I think it was the comedic relief that was needed at the time and I laughed and I cried and I thanked God.”

CHP officers became involved out of concern the 500-pound horse would crash into a vehicle or force a driver to swerve to avoid hitting it. It took three hours to capture the horse. A CHP H40 helicopter crew used heat-seeking FLIR radar find the horse in an orchard, according to KCRA 3.

Tatum summed up the aftermath: “She gotted a time out because she was being a bad pony.”

Photo: File