Marsha Hartford-Sapp and Cobra - a National Dressage Champion, an honored Breyer horse and a once wild mustang - will be at the Tractor Supply in Ocala, Florida, at 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, 2019 ready to meet the public.
Extreme Mustang Makeover competition in action
The objective is to display the trainability, beauty, and the versatility of American mustangs in hopes of finding a suitable adopter or purchaser.
© 2012 by Tara Martinak
Hartford-Sapp and Cobra competed in the 2010 Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover. The Extreme Mustang Makeover (EMM), produced by the Mustang Heritage Foundation in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, is an exciting event where trainers from across America have approximately 100 days to tame a wild horse.
The objective is to display the trainability, beauty, and the versatility of American mustangs in hopes of finding a suitable adopter or purchaser. During the 100 days, trainers focus on gentling, halter breaking and saddle training, building trust and developing a relationship with the horse to compete and win. During May 10-11, the EMM will be in Ocala, Florida, and the event is sure to be entertaining.
Following Cobra's debut at the 2010 Extreme Mustang Makeover, Hartford-Sapp continued working with Cobra over the next 14 years creating a deep bond. Their mutual trust has seen them through competitions in both classical and western dressage, where Cobra’s versatility and talent for each has been apparent.
As one of the founding horses of USEF Western dressage competition, Cobra was one of the first recipients of the 2015 Horse of the Year awards in that discipline and has continued to collect numerous accolades ever since.
In 2018, Cobra and Hartford-Sapp won the Western Dressage Association of America’s Western Dressage World Championship Level 4 Test 3 Open, were Reserve Champions in the Level 3 Test 3 Open and the Western Dressage Musical Freestyle, and Cobra was named Western Dressage Level 4 Horse of the Year.
Cobra was also the 2018 Adequan®/United States Dressage Federation All-Breeds American Mustang & Burro Association Prix St. Georges National Champion.
The Tractor Supply event will include an autograph session and a ticket giveaway for the 2019 EMM Top 10 Freestyle Finals, on Saturday, May 11 at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion in Ocala, Florida. For more information about the event or to buy tickets visit https://extrememustangmakeover.com/events/florida/.
Event details:
Tractor Supply
7351 North US Hwy 441, Ocala, FL 34475
352-368-9937
Time: 1 p.m., Thursday, May 9, 2019
About the Mustang Heritage Foundation:
The Mustang Heritage Foundation works to ensure the successful private placement of excess wild horses and burros removed from public lands so future generation can enjoy this distinctive feature of our American heritage. The primary mission of the Mustang Heritage Foundation is to create, promote, support and manage programs and activities that provide information and education to the public about wild horses and burros; elevate the public image and desirability of wild horses and burros; provide opportunities for members of the public to become involved in the wild horse and burro experience; secure adequate numbers of skilled and caring private homes for excess horses to ensure healthy wild herds and rangelands through the placement of excess animals removed from public lands; and identify and develop sources of private financial support for the Foundation’s mission. For more information visit mustangheritagefoundation.org.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) removes wild horses and burros from public lands to ensure a healthy balance of land and animals. Since 1971, the BLM has placed more than 235,000 wild horses and burros into good homes nationwide. Partnerships, like the Mustang Heritage Foundation, provide the BLM with additional opportunities to place animals into good homes. Interested applicants can attend BLM offsite adoption/sales event, visit a BLM Off-Range Corral, or participate in an Internet adoption/sales event to apply to take a wild horse or burro home! To learn more about the Wild Horse and Burro Program, please call 866-468-7826 or visit BLM.GOV/whb