As fans of RFD Tv's Wide World of Horses found out in December, adopted mustangs can make outstanding, well-trained show horses!The 2007 Extreme Mustang Makeover proved, not only to horsemen, but to a nationwide audience that wild mustangs, adopted and given adequate training, can become real stars in performance. The brainchild of Patti Colbert, executive director of the Mustang Heritage Foundation, this "reality show" featured 100 captured wild mustangs, who were provided by the BLM to 100 professional trainers for a summer of training before competing in the Extreme Mustang Makeover Challenge in Fort Worth, TX last September. The trained mustangs were then on conditioning, groundwork, and a "Horse Course" including obstacles found on the trail and in recreational riding situations. This was followed by a BLM-sponsored adoption, where the adoption fees were set trhough competitive bidding. Austrailian-born Guy Woods, a championship professional cutting horse trainer, took top honors and the $10,000 prize with mustang "Max." The standing-room-only crowd erupted into applause as he (on Max, of course!) jumped a series of three poles balanced on low barrels, followed by a hegher jump. Of course, he then turned around and spent $6,500 of his winnings to purchase Max at the adoption! While wild mustangs can typically be adopted for just $125, Woods wanted Max! Reserve champion Kitty Lauman won $5000 riding "Ranger," and wowing the crowds with a series of reining movements followed by galloping Ranger past a series of balloons, while she methodically shot each balloon! Montana cowboy Zane Davis, on "Algore," took third place honors, performing an expert snaffle-bit reining pattern, followed by pulling out a rope and tracking a steer for a nice, clean stop. Paula Carr, President of the Board of Directors of the Mustang Heritage Foundation, has annonced three Extreme Mustang Makeover events for 2008: - Madison, Wisconsin on April 28, 2008
- Sacramento, California on June 6-8
- Fort Worth, Texas on September 18-20
The Extreme Mustang Makeover was a great way to highlight the potential of the thousand of wild horses available from the BLM for adoption every year. If you're a horse lover, maybe you should consider adopting one of these national icons. Visit one of the three shows above and see what just a couple months of training does with these wild animals, and think about adopting a wild horse yourself. Adoptions fees are generally only $125, and, as this event proved, you could be gaining a quality performance animal, and even a show horse prospect, dirt cheap! Find out more about New Mexico horses, horsemanship, and equestrian events on my website: www.LauraWarden.com |
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