If you’ve ever dreamed of training a wild horse, this may be your moment! In the Northwest corner of Colorado sits wild and still undiscovered Rio Blanco County. This area boasts the headwaters of the White River, set in the stunning vista of Trappers Lake. For the past four years the community has held an exciting competition to expose the public to the amazing wild horses that roam the surrounding countryside. This year, local horses from the Piceance basin and other areas of Colorado will be highlighted in the competition. Applications opened to interested horse trainers to be part of the fifth annual Meeker Mustang Makeover on Jan. 1, 2023.
Horse trainers, both amateur and professional, are encouraged to apply. While the Meeker Mustang Makeover provides clinics to help trainers through the process, applicants should have horse experience as these horses are wild. The application period runs from Jan. 1, 2023 to April 1, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. More information and applications are available at MeekerMustangMakeover.org
This year 25 trainers selected from across Colorado will pick up their Mustangs in Meeker on April 29, attend a Getting Started Clinic, and 120 days later perform and compete to show how far they have come from wild horse to willing partner in front of a crowd at the Rio Blanco County Fairgrounds in Meeker. All horses are then sold at the end with trainers receiving 50% of the proceeds of their horse, in addition to taking home prize money and scholarship funds.
The selected trainers will have the opportunity to attend two free clinics by wild horse professional Steve Mantle. There is a youth division with yearlings in hand (halter) for kids ages 10-17 and a saddle competition with three-year-old mustangs for anyone aged 15 and up.
The competition will be held on Saturday, Aug. 26, followed by an online and live auction of all the horses to their forever homes. Trainers receive half of the auction proceeds. Longhorn Video Auctions is our auctioneer and last year attracted 22,000 views on the website.
Interested trainers will find the application on-line at MeekerMustangMakeover.org
Questions? Call Robyn Blackwood at 760-774-6863.
HOPEWEST PRESS RELEASE | Special to the Herald Times
