The Extreme Mustang Makeover, a wild horse-training event presented by the Mustang Heritage Foundation and the Bureau of Land Management's Wild Horse and Burro Program, made its annual stop in Fort Worth, TX, at the Will Rogers Equestrian Center.
A mustang championship event
Youth and adult trainers traveled from across the United States to showcase the skills they taught a Mustang in just over 100 days of training including choreographed props and music and a compulsory maneuvers score was also added to determine the overall winners.
© 2015 by Mustang Heritage Foundation
Youth and adult trainers traveled from across the United States to showcase the skills they taught a Mustang in just over 100 days of training. Adult trainers were assigned an untouched, four to 6-year-old Mustang gelding in May and spent the summer gentling and preparing the horse for competition.
Preliminary classes began on Thursday with contestants showing in classes including, handling and conditioning, a pattern class, and a combined leading and riding obstacle class. The top-10 trainers then moved on to the freestyle finals, which gave them an opportunity to show their mustang's skills while using choreographed props and music. A compulsory maneuvers score was also added to determine the overall winners.
Tom Hagwood, of Torrington, WY, repeated his success in Fort Worth winning the adult division championship and taking home a $20,000 prize. Hagwood showed Tiny, a 5-year-old sorrel gelding gathered from the Jackies Butte, OR, herd management area to the top spot with a freestyle that combined reining and working cowhorse maneuvers.
Sid Zacharias of Spooner, WI, won reserve honors and $10,000. Zacharias combined reining and trick riding on Nitro, a 4-year-old bay gelding gathered from Maverick Medicine, NV. Fan favorite honors went to Nate Eicher of Reinholds, PA, and Cadillac, a 6-year-old gelding gathered from Muskrat Basin, WY. Cadillac was also the high-selling Mustang of the adoption auction bringing $14,500.
Spectators traveled from numerous states for the opportunity to adopt a trained Mustang.
Forty-eight geldings were placed into adoptive homes through the Fort Worth event for an average adoption price of $1,950.
Twenty-eight youth, ages eight to 17, showcased 2-year-old Mustangs that were adopted before the event in in-hand classes including, handling and conditioning, trail, and freestyle. Prize money was then awarded to the top-10 highest combined class scores. Kirsten Mew of Conway, SC, was the youth division overall champion and received $8,000 for her performances with gelding, Mister Twister. Tanner Thompson of Ben Wheeler, TX, showed Rooster to second place overall and a $5,000 prize. Complete event results can be viewed at www.extrememustangmakeover.com.
Extreme Mustang Makeovers are made possible through partnership with the Bureau of Land Management and the generosity of sponsors Western Horseman, Ram Rodeo, Vetericyn, Resistol, Gist Silversmiths, Martin Saddlery and Classic Equine, RIDE TV, and the North American Mustang Association and Registry. Award sponsors for the Fort Worth Extreme Mustang Makeover included, SmartPak, JW Brooks Custom Hat Company, Sinclair Bits and Spurs, and Mary Kitzmiller Horsemanship.
Since the first Extreme Mustang Makeover event was held in 2007, the Mustang Heritage Foundation has facilitated the adoptions of more than 6,000 gentled American Mustangs. The Mustang Heritage Foundation will return to Fort Worth, Jan. 21-23, 2016, to produce Mustang Magic held during the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.
About the Mustang Heritage Foundation
The mission of the Mustang Heritage Foundation and the goal of the Extreme Mustang Makeover events are to increase the adoption of Mustangs across the country.
The Mustang Heritage Foundation created the Extreme Mustang Makeover events to showcase the recognized value of Mustangs through a national training competition. The nonprofit organization also created the Trainer Incentive Program and Camp Wildfire to raise awareness about Americaâs Mustangs. For more information, visit www.mustangheritagefoundation.org.