NW Extreme Mustang Makeover headed to Albany

From Bureau of Land Management,

HINES, Oregon – For the second year in a row, the Extreme Mustang Makeover challenge is headed to the Northwest Horse Fair and Expo in Albany, Oregon. This thrilling competition will take place over three days, culminating in a fantastic freestyle event in front of a standing room-only crowd. The Mustang Makeover is set for March 19-21, leaving mustang trainers less than two weeks to put the final touches on their once-wild Oregon mustangs.

The Northwest event is a spin-off of the highly successful Extreme Mustang Makeover held first in Texas in 2007. The Mustang Heritage Foundation, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), created the Extreme Mustang Makeover events in order to recognize and highlight the value of Mustangs through a national training competition.

The Mustang Makeover events give the public a unique opportunity to see the results of wild horses becoming trained mounts. It is a great way to display the beauty, versatility and trainability of the rugged horses that roam freely on public lands throughout the West.

Over 30 trainers from Oregon and Washington picked up their “to-be-tamed” horses at BLM’s Wild Horse Corral Facility in Hines the first weekend in December 2009. From there, it has been a race to the finish: who can best train and show their mustang at the Northwest Extreme Mustang Makeover Challenge.

Trainers and fans alike gather at the Linn County Fair and Expo Center in Albany beginning March
19. The Mustang Makeover is one of the opening events for the Annual Northwest Horse Show and Expo. The Mustang Makeover events are as scheduled as follows:

• Friday, March 19, 6:00 p.m.: Oregon mustangs will be on competitive display. Trainers are evaluated on the body condition of their mustangs, as well as their ability to handle the horse “in hand” through a series of maneuvers including picking up the horse’s feet, maneuvering it through obstacles and loading it into a trailer.

• Saturday, March 20, 5:30 p.m.: trainers mount their animals and complete a “horse course” that includes a series of obstacles and requires the trainer to demonstrate the level of competency the horse has accomplished.

• Sunday, March 21, 10:30 a.m.: The top ten finalists compete in a freestyle event, followed immediately by an awards presentation and competitive bid adoption for the trained mustangs.

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Only qualified adopters – those who have registered and been approved to adopt through the Wild Horse Program – will be able to participate in the competitive bid adoption. Registration and approval can occur onsite at the Northwest Horse Fair and Expo before bidding begins, or ahead of time by mailing an application to BLM Wild Horse Program, 28910 Hwy 20 West, Hines, Oregon 97738. Those who apply by mail will need to check in at BLM’s mustang vendor booth upon arrival at the Mustang Makeover event.

All horse enthusiasts are encouraged to consider adopting a mustang. Their stamina, hardiness, and quick intelligence make Oregon’s wild horses excellent partners for any discipline.

For more information on the Northwest Extreme Mustang Makeover, call the Burns District BLM Office at (541) 573-4400. Additional information about the Wild Horse program is also available online at: www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns/wildhorse/index.php. Release No. OR-020-10-09 March 9, 2010


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