The Mustang Magic Trainers Challenge, a wild horse training competition in its sixth year, will be held at the 118th annual Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo from Thursday, January 23 to Saturday, January 25, 2014. Part of the Extreme Mustang Makeover competition portfolio, the invitational Mustang Magic features the top tier of trainers from past competitions.
Mustang feeding at BLM center
The Mustang Magic Trainers Challenge, a wild horse training competition in its sixth year, will be held at the 118th annual Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo from Thursday, January 23 to Saturday, January 25, 2014.
© 2013 by Peter Schmalzer
Nineteen trainers and their Mustang partners will face off. The Mustangs, originating from all over the western United States, had very limited human contact before September. The equine contestants are five- and six-year-old mares of bright, eye-catching colors including palominos, paints, buckskins, and roans.
Trainers will compete in three preliminary classes testing the Mustangs’ body condition, handling and riding skills, and willing attitude. The top-ten scoring pairs will then advance to the freestyle finals, where $10,000 in prize money will be up for grabs. Trainers have the chance to incorporate music, costumes, and props in an exciting, crowd-pleasing performance where creativity and horsemanship are emphasized.
Mustang Magic is free with admission to the Fort Worth Stock Show and will be held in the John Justin Arena at the Will Rogers Memorial Center, with action beginning on Thursday, January 23. The freestyle finals performance will take place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, January 25 and it is suggested to arrive early to secure seating at this popular event.
Immediately following the finals, all horses will be available for public adoption through a competitive bid process. Available horses can be viewed at www.extrememustangmakeover.com. Interested adopters may watch the Mustangs work in three preliminary classes and meet the trainers, making Mustang Magic a great opportunity to bring home a piece of American history.
While at the Fort Worth Stock Show, visitors can also enjoy a variety of events and entertainment such as carnival rides, livestock shows, the All-Western Parade, Celebrity Goat Milking Contest, the “Best of the West” Invitational Rodeo, livestock and horse sales and more.
Mustang Magic is made possible through a partnership with the Bureau of Land Management and the generosity of sponsors Ram Trucks, Western Horseman, Zoetis, Vetericyn, Roper Apparel & Footwear, Twister Trailer, RES Equine Products, Gist Silversmiths, Martin Saddlery and Smith Brothers.
About the Mustang Heritage Foundation
The mission of the Mustang Heritage Foundation and the goal of the Extreme Mustang Makeover events including Mustang Magic 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.
About the Fort Worth Stock Show
From a one-day affair with a few head of cattle tethered under ice-laden shade trees, the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show has grown into a three-week extravaganza with international appeal for exhibitors and visitors alike. The show annually attracts nearly 1 million visitors to the Will Rogers Complex. The legendary 23-day event will return to Fort Worth January 17 – February 8, 2014.
About the Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for managing 258 million acres of public lands, located mostly in the West. Wild horses and burros roaming public rangelands are managed in a manner consistent with BLM’s overall multiple-use mission, as set forth in the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. For more information, visit wildhorseandburro.blm.gov or call 866-4MUSTANGS.