Proper training & Purina Ultium Feed propel Mustang and trainer to the finals

Untouched by human hands just months ago, 100 wild mustangs were adopted by trainers from 23 states, all vying for first place and $50,000 in the Extreme Mustang Makeover held August, 2010 in Ft. Worth, Texas.

The Mustang Heritage Foundation, in cooperation with the BLM, created the Extreme Mustang Makeover event to recognize and highlight the value of Mustangs through a national training competition. The Extreme Mustang Makeover showcases the beauty, versatility and train-ability of these rugged horses that roam freely on public lands throughout the West, where they are protected by the BLM under Federal law.

Larry Walden, owner of Walden Farm & Ranch Supply stores in Millsap, Weatherford, and Mineral Wells, TX; purchased one of the wild mustangs, a buckskin gelding, later named Romeo.  Walden enlisted the help of horse trainer Travis Dittmer to work with the mustang and prepare him for the upcoming competition.

Dittmer, from Mineral Wells, TX, gained the mustang’s trust early.  Remarkably, Travis saddled and rode Romeo within the first 5 days of training.  During the next three months trainer and mustang spent hours together daily, where Travis focused on improving the mustangs’ body condition score and temperament.  “We used Purina’s Ultium Competition Formula with Romeo,” said Larry Walden.  “Ultium delivers a concentrated amount of energy, mental focus and manageability, quick recovery of muscle repair, and prolonged stamina, which helped Romeo condition quickly and calm his demeanor” said Walden.

Eighty horses participated in the Extreme Mustang Makeover at the Will Rogers Coliseum in Ft. Worth August 13-14, 2010.   The mustangs and trainers competed in four categories: trail course, basic riding, maneuvers, and cow work.  The top twenty mustangs with the highest combined total scores returned for a four-minute freestyle performance.

Romeo and Dittmer high scores from these categories moved  them on to the finals.  The top 20 final contestants competed on several components including completion of maneuvers, horsemanship and overall presentation.  When the dust settled at the end of the second day, Dittmer and Romeo finished 6^th in the competition.  “It’s remarkable to see how these horses perform, given that they were untouched and untamed 100 days ago,” said Walden.  “We thrilled with our 6^th place finish. Travis’ expert training and conditioning of Romeo produced excellent results.”

Dittmer adopted Romeo at the end of the competition.

To learn more about the Extreme Mustang Makeover, go to www.extrememustangmakeover.com or Mustang Heritage Foundation at www.mustangheritagefoundation.org.

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