$100,000 offered to more than 100 trainers

 The iconic American Mustang will take center stage August 13-14 as more than 100 trainers hope to turn their adoption of a wild horse into a $50,000 win during the $100,000 Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover to be held in Fort Worth, Tex.

The Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover is the richest wild horse competition in history and is modeled after the highly successful Extreme Mustang Makeover begun in 2007. However, unlike the Extreme Mustang Makeover where trained horses are made available to the public for adoption after the event, adoption of the competition horses was required prior to the event.

“Another big difference was that this group of mustangs were older, at six years old, than the usual three to four years old we work with,” said Mustang Heritage Foundation (MHF) Executive Director Patti Colbert. “Older horses are generally harder to adopt and are usually headed for long-term holding at this age, so the Supreme Extreme was created to add value to those older horses.”

A total of 108 wild horses gathered from the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) (HMA) herd management areas were placed during a televised adoption event hosted by the Mustang Heritage Foundation April 24. Now, those adopters are in the process of the training the wild horse to compete in the event offering $50,000 to the winner. Trainers will have approximately 120 days to get their new charges in shape for the competition.

Competition will be somewhat similar to that of the Extreme Mustang Makeover, which requires the trainer to ride the horse through a series of obstacles and complete basic maneuvers, such as a walk, trot and lope, stop and back. It will also include a horsemanship and trail riding component as well as a challenging cow work sequence. Twenty finalists will compete in a freestyle competition to determine the winner and spectators are sure to enjoy what has become a thrilling event full of incredible horsemanship flavored with tricks, mounted shooting and even more surprises.

Event tickets are now on sale at www.extrememustangmakeover.com.

“The Bureau of Land Management is keenly interested in seeing how the public responds to this event and these older horses,” said BLM Wild Horse and Burro Division Chief Don Glenn. “The BLM has enjoyed a partnership with the Mustang Heritage Foundation that has resulted in one of the most successful adoption programs in our history and having an outlet for the older horses is yet another avenue to offer protection to these treasured animals.”

The BLM estimates that more than 38,000 wild horses and burros are roaming on BLM-managed rangelands in 10 Western states. Wild horse herd sizes can double about every four years. As a result, the agency must remove thousands of animals from the range each year to control population. Since 2007, the Mustang Heritage Foundation has placed more than 2,000 wild horses for adoption.

About the Mustang Heritage Foundation

The Mustang Heritage Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) public, charitable, nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating successful adoptions for America’s excess mustangs. Founded in 2001, its mission is to provide dynamic competitions showcasing the adoptability and trainability of the American Mustang in short term holding facilities under the care of the Bureau of Land Management.

About the Bureau of Land Management 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 www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov or call 866-4MUSTANGS.