Local Texas Horseman Selected to Compete in Extreme Mustang Makeover
Georgetown, Texas -Ramon Castro from Shell, Wyoming has been selected by the Texas-based Mustang Heritage Foundation to compete in the Extreme Mustang Makeover. June 11-13, 2010 in Fort Collins, Colorado. Trainers will have approximately 90 days to gentle a wild horse they picked up in Canon City, CO. or Pauls Valley, OK. in March to compete for an estimated $12,500 in prize money.
The five and six year old Mustangs, gathered in Nevada, will be judged June 11th and 13th on conditioning, groundwork, and a “Horse Course” that requires maneuvers and includes obstacles found in trail and recreational riding situations. The competing mustangs will be available for adoption through an oral bidding adoption on Sunday, June 13th.
Ramon Castro is 37 year old and has been working with horses and mules since the age of 7. Ramon has trained over 1500 horses and ridden many more, while working as a professional cowboy and vaquero most of his life.
Earlier this year Ramon Castro started his own horse training and clinic business working from The Hideout Lodge & Guest Ranch in Shell, Wyoming. The Hideout is an upscale working Guest Ranch, sharing 250,000 acres with the 100-year old Flitner Ranch. As of this year The Hideout guests will be able to enjoy trainings and clinics from Ramon during their stay.
Prior to this Ramon worked for many years as cowboy for The Flitner Ranch, where he was also the trainer of the Quarter Horse Breeding Program. Many guests visiting The Hideout and The West are very interested in the Mustang as one of the most fascinating icons of the West. The participation of Ramon in this competition while training the mustang at the guest ranch will draw a lot of interest from guests around the world, supporting the Mustang as a reliable recreational horse.
The purpose of the competition is to showcase the beauty, versatility, and trainability of these rugged horses that roam freely on public lands throughout the West, where they are protected by the BLM under Federal law. The BLM periodically removes excess animals from the range to ensure herd health and protect rangeland resources. Thousands of removed animals are then made available each year to the public for adoption. All of the animals involved in the “Makeover” competition will be available for adoption at the Fort Worth event in September.
Adoption fees will be set by competitive bid with initial fees being determined by the level and quality of training each horse has received. To qualify to adopt, one must be at least 18, with no record of animal abuse. In addition, adopters must have suitable facilities and can adopt no more than four animals. Adoption applications may be obtained and approved on the spot.
About the Mustang Heritage Foundation
The mission of the Mustang Heritage Foundation and the goal of the Extreme Mustang Makeover is 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 and has placed more than 1,000 mustangs for adoption since September 2007. Go to www.mustangheritagefoundation.org for more information.
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. Since 1973, the BLM has placed more than 219,000 horses and burros into private care through adoption.
For more information, visit www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov or call 866-4MUSTANGS.
February 24, 2010
Posted in: United States South