Howdy Doody: Watusi bull goes viral after it gets pulled over by cops for 'riding shotgun' on highway
NORFOLK, NEBRASKA: Police were left dumbfounded after they pulled over a driver on a Nebraska highway only to find him carrying an unusual passenger, a massive Watusi bull called Howdy Doody.
Officers from the Norfolk Police Division received a call around 10 am on Wednesday, August 30, about a man driving a compact car eastbound on Highway 275 with a cow 'riding shotgun.'
And as it turned out to the surprise of the officers, it was a huge Ankole-Watusi bull.
The animal's owner, Lee Meyer, of Neligh, had even tried his best to make a home out of his vehicle just to fit his bull inside.
He had cut half off half of the roof, windows, and windscreen of the former police car to accommodate his companion.
He had attached a sign on the side of the car saying, "Nebraska's Big Rodeo Parade - Best Entry."
The car also had a miniature version of Howdy Doody's big horns attached to the hood of the car, adding to the amuse of the entire event.
Nebraska police pulled over a man with a Watusi bull named “Howdy Doody” riding shotgun. pic.twitter.com/DojJLwJ8Jc
— Pubity (@pubity) August 31, 2023
Was Howdy Doody OK?
Although, the owner spared no effort to make Howdy Doody feel comfortable, the bull apparently was not satisfied with Lee's whacks.
The animal seemingly being unimpressed or maybe getting nervous during the car ride on the highway sprayed poo over the back windows when police pulled the car over.
What did the authorities say?
“The officers received a call referencing a car driving into town that had a cow in it,” police Captain Chad Reiman told News Channel Nebraska Northeast.
"They thought that it was going to be a calf, something small or something that would actually fit inside the vehicle. As a result, the officers performed a traffic stop and addressed some traffic violations that were occurring with that particular situation," he said.
Meyer is said to be a regular with Howdy Doody at local cattle shows and parades.
"The officer wrote him some warnings," Captain Reiman said. "There were some citable issues with that situation. The officer chose to write him a warning and ask him to take the animal back home and leave the city," he added.
Meyer and Howdy Doody were then allowed to return home to Neligh. No one was injured due to the unusual passenger in Meyer's car.
What did Meyer's wife say about the incident?
Although Meyer and his animal buddy Howdy Doody broke the internet Wednesday after the video went viral across multiple social media platforms, his wife Rhonda claims that it was just another outing of two best friends.
"He got him. I can't remember if it was eight or nine years ago," Rhonda told radio station US92.
"He was like five or six months old when he bought him and he has just been his friend and buddy," she recalled.
She said that Meyer takes Howdy Doody out for a walk once a week to eat grass and plants in the road ditches along the highway.
Besides, Howdy Doody and his owner are local celebrities in Neligh. Rhonda recalled the moment she learned her husband had been pulled over on Wednesday.
"I get a phone call at work from my son wanting to know if (his) Dad's in jail," Rhonda said.
"Someone sent this (news) to him, and so yeah it just kinda went downhill from there," she continued.
She admitted that the beautiful creature has become an integral part of their family over time.
"The amount of money that he's spent on this whole darn project between the car and the bull I could've had a brand new kitchen," Rhonda said.
Despite being pulled over, she says Lee is in good spirits and is enjoying the attention. "Oh he's fine," Rhonda said. "Lee thinks he's a movie star," she remarked.