The world-renowned Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo will open its arenas to one of the most unconventional competitions in its more than 113-year history as it welcomes Mustang Magic January 23-24.
Mustang Magic, developed from the highly successful Extreme Mustang Makeover competitions, will debut at the 2009 Stock Show and feature 13 trainers from across the country that have already shown their mettle as Mustang trainers. The trainers are as unique as the horses they are training, with stories ranging from an Arizona beauty queen to a former inmate who changed his life in the course of training Mustangs.
Produced by the Mustang Heritage Foundation (MHF) in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Mustang Magic will feature Chase Dodd of Soddy Daisy, TN; Jonathan “J-Dub” Weisiger of Fort Worth; Cindy Branham of Auburn, KS; Bill Lopez of Norman, OK; Weldon Hawley of Vernon, TX; Suzanne Myers, PhD, of Port Matilda, PA; Wylene Wilson of Queen Creek, AZ; Dave Schaffner of Lampasas, TX; Roeliff Annon of La Villita, NM; Ken Schwab of Hutto, TX; Joe Misner of Johnson Valley, CA; Holly Davis of Gainesville, TX; and Lonnie Aragon of Colorado Springs, CO.
Trainers will select their horses during the 2008 Extreme Mustang Makeover, Friday, September 19, when a wild horse band is released during the Mission 007: Yearling Edition evening finals. Trainers will draw a number and select a Mustang they will train until the competition on January 23.
“This is the first time we’ve given trainers the opportunity to actually select their horse from among a group,” said MHF Executive Director Patti Colbert, “so, this will actually put a little more pressure on them to make a wise decision when the herd is released. They’ll be looking at the way the animal notices its surroundings, how it responds to the crowd and how it moves. Drawing last is not necessarily a disadvantage because someone before you might leave the best horse in the pen.”
Mustangs will be judged on body conditioning and handling, with trainers executing a freestyle routine, oftentimes including shooting, roping, jumping and other feats.
All horses in Mustang Magic competition will be available for adoption on January 24.
About the Mustang Heritage Foundation
The mission of the Mustang Heritage Foundation and the goal of the Extreme Mustang Makeover are 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. For more information, go to www.mustangheritagefoundation.org.
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 899,000 visitors packed into the Will Rogers Complex in 2008 for the 112th Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show. The legendary 24-day event will return in 2009 running from January 16 through February 8. For more information, go to www.fwssr.com
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 www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov or call 866-4MUSTANGS.