Horse Illustrated Magazine

World champion Al Dunning and nationally-known clinician Ken McNabb will go head to head June 11-13 at Colorado State University’s Equine Center in Fort Collins, but this time as coaches.

Leading two teams during the Extreme Team Mustang Makeover, Dunning and McNabb will offer their training expertise to each team of 25 trainers from across the country that will be competing for $12,500. Like previous Extreme Mustang Makeover events, trainers picked up their randomly selected wild horses about 90 days prior to the event.

There is no entry fee for the event and trainers will be reimbursed up to $700 in expenses. See the list of accepted trainers here.

“The Mustang Heritage Foundation is constantly searching for dynamic ways to introduce horsemen and women to the true value of the American Mustang,” said MHF Executive Director Patti Colbert. “Al and Ken have been great friends to the Foundation having served as judges in the past and being available to trainers in offering advice and encouragement. With this competition, they’ll have a more direct hands-on approach and trainers will be able to get their advice at the event to fine-tune the work they’ve done in the previous 90 days.”

Trainers will be “drafted” at the event to the American League by Dunning of Scottsdale, Ariz., and the Patriots League by McNabb of Cody, Wyo. Trainers will compete in entry level reining, trail, and cow work from rules adapted from the American Stock Horse Association and the Stock Horse of Texas Association. Points will be earned individually and for the team by each trainer, with each coach selecting three trainers per competition element who points will count for the team, as well.

“Another great element to this competition is that fans are going to be able to vote for their favorite trainer through a bracket system on line,” said Colbert. “The People’s Favorite trainers and mustangs will then compete on Friday night of our competition during a Mustang Smackdown for cash and prizes.” Top Ten finals will be held Saturday June 12 at 7 p.m. for individual qualifiers while both teams will compete in a team performance designed by their coach.

All mustangs competing in the competition will be made available for adoption June 13 at 10 a.m. The event is free to the public with the exception of the Saturday night Top Ten finals performance.

To learn more, go to extrememustangmakeover.com or call 512.869.3225.
 
About the Mustang Heritage Foundation
The mission of the Mustang Heritage Foundation and the goal of the Extreme Mustang Makeover are to increase the placement of mustangs across the country into good homes that are currently housed in facilities managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The Mustang Heritage Foundation created the Extreme Mustang Makeover event to showcase the recognized value of mustangs through a national training competition.