Five-year-old mustang, Raya, exhibited a contagious excitement as Heidi Brown prepared her for the Mustang Challenge at South Point Arena in Las Vegas.
With joy reminiscent of a dog anticipating a walk, Raya knew it was time to emerge from her stall and showcase the progress she has made since her adoption.
Raya is relatively new to the show circuit; she has only been under Brown’s care for about six months. Just half a year ago, she was a wild mustang waiting for a chance at a new home.
The Mustang Challenge, which takes place over three days, features around 40 competitors who are partnered with the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro Program. This collaboration aims to demonstrate the skills of newly trained mustangs and promote awareness regarding these once-wild horses.
Brown, a resident of Las Vegas, has had a deep-seated passion for horses since her childhood in Utah.
Her journey with mustangs began in 2019 when she volunteered with similar programs and quickly became enamored, leading her to adopt her own mustang to train in her backyard.
“It was incredible to see the sensitivity and intelligence of mustangs. A lot of horses are really intelligent, but it was incredible to see the difference in a mustang. I couldn’t leave it alone,” she shared passionately.
In December, Brown adopted Raya, a striking bay pinto, from a holding facility in Delta, Utah. This facility had housed the horse for approximately two years after BLM had rounded her up from the Cedar Mountain Herd Management Area, located roughly 45 miles west of Salt Lake City, Utah, where wild horses are monitored by the federal government.
The training process began with “gentling,” a method that employs positive reinforcement and trust-building exercises. This early stage focuses on establishing a bond with the horse, gradually moving from simple touches to leading them, and preparing them for riding.
“I do a lot of positive reinforcement for her, and that has helped her a lot with being brave in a lot of scarier situations,” Brown explained.
While Brown has another mustang, a 7-year-old sorrel, at her home, she faces challenges in training due to limited space.
Fortunately, Brown takes the horses to nearby arenas where she can practice with them.
“I love engaging with them in a playful way that makes them want to participate,” she said about her training style.
During the Mustang Challenge on Friday morning, Brown and her now-gentle horse, known in the competition as ‘Raya’s Dream,’ skillfully navigated various obstacles designed to mimic a trail riding experience.
Given Raya’s cautious nature in the presence of crowds, the announcer requested that the audience refrain from applause while the pair tackled the course.
Brown and Raya moved steadily through the course, overcoming some challenges with confidence while pausing at others, showcasing the unique bond they had developed.
As they exited the arena, Brown raised her hands in celebration; the moment was a testament to their hard work and perseverance.
Matthew Monroe, executive director of the Mustang Challenge, emphasized the purpose of the competition: to introduce audiences to the remarkable abilities of mustangs, which are sometimes undervalued in the equestrian world due to their lack of pedigree.
“People kind of stumble on what we’re doing and get to see American mustangs,” he shared while observing the crowd of over 100 spectators during the morning’s event.
Competitors in the Mustang Challenge must have adopted their mustangs after October 1 and complete no more than nine months of training.
Participants in the competition, who are required to have prior show experience, take part in three preliminary classes, each designed to showcase different skills of both horse and rider.
The top ten highest-scoring competitors across the three rounds will advance to the championship finals, where they have a chance to win a grand prize of $50,000. The total purse for the competition is $125,000, which is also distributed among other finalists and those who achieve top scores in each preliminary class.
In the finals, competitors are given the opportunity to display their mustangs more freely in a compulsory class showcasing precision skills, followed by a three-minute freestyle that may involve props and music. Last year’s inaugural winner notably rode their mustang dressed as Capt. Jack Sparrow from the “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
After the competition, some trainers choose to sell their newly trained mustangs to individuals interested in work or show horses, or as companions.
However, many exhibitors develop a strong bond with their mustangs and opt to keep them as their personal show horses, Monroe noted.
This may very well be the case for Brown, who expressed uncertainty about whether she would part with Raya. “Going into it, I never really know until I get the horse, but she might be the one that I’m like, ‘I can’t let her go,’” Brown remarked.
The Mustang Challenge continues to promote the beauty and abilities of mustangs while highlighting the hard work and dedication of their trainers.
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