Rico

Rico
Home	Echo Mine
Occupation	Bounty hunter, mercenary
Story appearances
Feature films	Home on the Range
Video games	Home on the Range
Voice actor	Charles Dennis

Rico is a fake bounty hunter and one of the three main antagonists of Disney's 2004 film, Home on the Range. He was idolized as a hero by Buck, a horse who longed to fight by his side in capturing outlaws. However, near the end of the film, Rico was revealed to be in on Alameda Slim's scheme (as his partner), removing any evidence that may lead to the latter's capture, much to Buck's disappointment.

He was voiced by Charles Dennis.

Personality

Rico is similar to Bill Sykes, only with a more mysterious and calmer tone, showing that he only wants and demands money without even thinking or considering the consequences after being beaten at the end of the film. It also shows that he has a calm patience like Shere Khan, except for incompetence and to ones who take things less seriously.

Appearances

Home on the Range

Rico is first seen riding into town on a horse. He silences a buzzing fly near him, to which the fly replies, "Sorry." Buck notices Rico and gets distracted from playing tick-tack-toe with Rusty. Rico is a supposed bounty hunter who is Buck's idol, and whom Buck claims to be one of the best, although Rusty shows little interest and grows suspicious of Rico.

When Rico tells Sheriff Sam Brown that he needs a fresh horse to help him capture outlaw Alameda Slim, Buck immaturely shows off behind them and Rusty. Rico eventually selects Buck, much to the horse's delight, and then saddles him up. Buck exclaims happily that he's wearing Rico's saddle, and the two ride off together. When they travel to a cattle drive, Buck encounters the farm cows who were on a journey to capture Slim as well. Bucks gets into a brief argument with the bovines, while Rico ends up choosing another horse to assist him on his "mission" because from the way he saw Buck's exchange with the cows, he interpreted it as Buck being "skittish around cows." He then tries to enlist some ranchers to return Buck, only for the stallion to escape the ranchers and run off to prove himself to Rico again.

Sometime later, Buck travels to Echo Mine alone and manages to trick the same horse from before into leaving his post so he could get back with Rico. However, when Buck gloats, he is overheard by Junior the Buffalo who snorts angrily behind him, as he had been blocking the mine's entrance when Buck made a vain attempt to get through earlier. After being chased around Echo Mine by Junior, Buck is soon saddled up by Rico, to which the horse happily gallops off with him.

When Slim reveals that Rico is actually a mercenary who was working for the outlaw all along, Buck is left feeling betrayed and heartbroken. The horse then turns on his traitorous rider by flailing about wildly and manages to throw Rico off his saddle. When Rico attempts to shoot Buck afterwards, Mrs. Calloway and Maggie manage to take out the fake bounty hunter. Mrs. Calloway delivers a coup de grâce by landing on top of Rico. Buck and the cows then lock Rico in a train cart along with the Willie Brothers and Mr. Wesley, who were also beaten up by them. It is unknown what happened to Rico afterwards, but it is presumed that he, along with the Willie Brothers and Wesley, end up being arrested following Slim's arrest for their crimes; however, in case they were never found, they possibly starved to death locked in the train cart.