Onyx

A graduate of the Extreme Mustang Makeover is snatching admiration from college students in the Intercollegiate Dressage Association. A show was hosted by Florida State University January 23rd and 24th where the mustang, Onyx, was a true star.

Almost a year to the date after first meeting Onyx, a wild Nevada Mustang, Onyx was handily carrying riders through dressage tests at a competition where colleges compete against each other to via for spots for Dressage Nationals.

In IDA, schools from each region converge to compete against one another to national points. The interesting thing about IDA is that students do not ride their own horses. Visiting schools, and a lottery provides horses, or random draw selects the horse that the student is to ride. The student is allowed 10 minutes to “warm-up” their unfamiliar mount, and then head straight to the show ring to perform their dressage test in front of the judge, with their respective schools routing them on. It takes a special horse to be used for IDA, both talented and well trained, but also a horse with a heart of gold and excellent patience to handle being ridden in a show environment with unfamiliar riders. Three different riders typically ride each horse each day of competition.

Onyx, a fifth place finisher in the 2009 Gatorland Extreme Mustang Makeover, (now owned by Holly Bailey of Monticello, Fl) performed flawlessly for her college-age riders over the weekend, scoring in the mid to high 60’s, and even receiving many votes by the students for the “Best Draw” of the day award, where students vote on the most desirable horse to draw for the show.

Schools present included Florida State University, University of Florida, University or Central Florida, and Central Florida Community College.

The Coach of FSU is Marsha Hartford Sapp, who trained Onyx for the Mustang Makeover, and also was a top 10 finisher for the Eastern Stampede Extreme Mustang Makeover.

About the Mustang Heritage Foundation

The mission of the Mustang Heritage Foundation and the goal of the Extreme Mustang Makeover is to increase the adoption of mustangs across the country. The Mustang Heritage Foundation created the Extreme Mustang Makeover event 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. More than 900,000 visitors packed into the Will Rogers Complex in 2009 for the 113th Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show. The legendary 24-day event will return in 2010 running from January 15 through February 7. For more information go to fwssr.com.

About the Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse and Burro

The BLM manages more land – 253 million acres – than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.For more information, visit wildhorseandburro.blm.gov or call 866-4MUSTANGS.