Mountaineering Mustangs! Throughout the month of December, we are featuring Mustangs and Mustang crosses! We recently asked our social media followers to share a photo of their favorite Mustang or Mustang cross partner, and tell us a little about them for a chance to be featured in an upcoming gallery highlighting these American icons. Check out some of the superstars they love to dance with.
Falchion, my 2020 gelding from Antelope Nevada. I have had him since he was roughly 2 and he is schooling 1st and 2nd level dressage. But eventing is his calling! This was his first outing at beginner novice. – Cameron D.When the dressage trainer I go to first met my Swasey Mountain girl she was shocked that she’s a mustang. She guessed Spanish bred or Welsh pony. The exact words were “that’s the nicest mustang I’ve ever seen”. I can’t tell you how much that made my heart smile. This mare is an absolute dream come true for me. She is the first horse I’ve trained myself and is the goofiest, smartest, and most amazing mare. At 5 y/o and almost two years under saddle she rides english (dressage primarily), western, bridleless, and does tricks at liberty. She’s been ridden by 2, 3, and 5 y/o’s. She won our very first class at a dressage show. She out scored all the professionals in our ILHA virtual championship bridleless riding class (won our non pro class). And she is the absolute light of my life. 10 y/o me wanted so badly to train a mustang and at 27 I had the opportunity to adopt this tiny 13.2hh mustang that the owner wanted gone because of her color. I am so grateful they passed up such an incredible animal. She’s one in a million. – Ashley L.SS Golden Boy AKA Apollo. Apollo is a 2017 south steens gelding who went to his first dressage competition this summer! I adopted Apollo as a 6 year old. This year we competed at intro and are hoping to step up to training and maybe even first next year. – Alex M.Pelos, 8 years old gelding from the Devil’s Garden in CA. He came to my life in August 2024. A year later he finished top 10 at the American Eventing Championship in Beginner Novice and just received his Beginner Novice Gold Medal. He has such a great impact on my life. – Antoine A.My 14.1 Warm Springs HMA mare – rounded up in 2018 . We met in a less than traditional style but fell into each other’s lives anyways . I was out of horses for 3 years after the loss of my heart horse… and she needed someone to see her heart past all her flight response .
Eventing is our man focus but she’s ignited my desire to start working on our bronze and possibly silver medals . 🩷 – Arminda E.Wild Heart is a 13 year old Mustang mare from Fish Creek, Nevada. I got her when she was 5 years old to compete in the Extreme Mustang Makeover Competition. She is this years 2025 USDF All-Breeds Awards Open Champion for Training & First Level, as well as the 2025 National Dressage Pony Cup Mustang Breed Champion. She was also a Bareback & Bridleless Champion at the International Liberty Horse Association Championships this year. She is truly the greatest soul I’ve ever known. She’s only 13.3 hands, but she’s taught me more than I could have ever dreamed of. I always feel like the luckiest person in the world to have by my side! A once in a lifetime experience. – Ariana S.Raya is my 5 yr old Cedar Mountain Utah mare. We competed at both the 2025 Mustang challenge and Classic and competing at the Rolex was an incredible experience for us! It being, for both of us, our first dressage show/test and ending up 8th. Since then Raya and I have been continuing on our dressage journey along with working equitation. She’s been an incredible partner and the perfect horse for me to do those challenges with. She’s so resilient and brave and such an amazing team mate as we both learn dressage together. – Heidi B.BB Valiente, Mustang Sport Horse, 11yo mare from Beatys Butte, OR. Competed locally up to third level and 2nd level at USDF recognized shows. – Margaret K.I knew my Onaqui, Utah mare in the wild and later adopted both her and her band stallion—they were a band of two—so they could be together in their forever home. We’re now in Intro and learning to jump, loving every minute of it. – Stargazer and NoraWoodrow from SBF Mustang Eventing Adopted as an 8 year old former band stallion from Salt Wells Creek, WY. When he retires from Eventing, he will be a dressage horse. For now, he fancy prances in the sandbox but loves to jump! Currently going strong at 15 years old and loving every bit of his domestic life! 💖 – Ann H.Submitted by Caeley M.Freya in the wild before round up. (Picture courtesy of Pat Doak) – Jennifer D.Redman, Goshutes NV HMA. This was the photo that sealed it for me. He was untouched but gorgeous. He is my third mustang. We showed 2nd level this year and plan to move up to 3rd. – Lara K.QR Code from SBF Mustang Eventing Q has been one of my hardest mustangs to date! He’s turned into a love bug but hasn’t always been that way! He’s a 6 year old from Divide Basin, WY. He competed in the Mustang Champions Classic and took 5th place out of 56 mustangs! He has a bright future in dressage but also loves to jump, he’s quite the eventing superstar! However, still quite quirky but has been a lot of fun to produce and bring along! ❤️ – Ann H.Escher is our 2017 gelding from Desatoya Nevada. Gentled by Elisa Wallace, Escher has been a blast as our first mustang. He is beyond smart and is one of the most people oriented, cuddly horses I have ever met. This year Escher was Open Second level all breeds champion. He is schooling all the Third level and piaffe and passage. We just love this little horse! – Malinda B.Romeo, a 2012 Rock Creek, Nevada gelding. He competed in the Extreme Mustang Makeover in 2017 (7/8 years old) in Fort Worth Texas and I bought him shortly after that. We switched from Western to Dressage in 2023 and are currently competing in second level. He lives up to the mustang all around hype and is so agile and willing. He is my heart horse ❤️ Photo credit: Caitlin Demura Photography – Robyn C.This is Storm, she is ridden by Kalyn and is an amazing mustang! She was originally rescued from an auction where she would have been slaughter bound otherwise. She’s going my lesson program and is working towards her first rated show this coming year! It’s amazing to see the relationship between a once “wild” horse and a teen who needed her! – Gabrielle H.Ridge Runnin’ Cody 1988 Reveille NV stallion with 16 yr old Shanon Geitz on board. The 2 went on to do several Events together. Shanon went on to be a top youth rider. I adopted Cody in 1989, moved to WI in 1992/93. I met Shanon who’s horse was lame at the time so she Evented Cody. – Diana T.-M.Reno 21 year old Rock Creek Mustang. Currently showing FEI Grand Prix and “only” one score away from our USDF Gold medal. – Ines R.Valkyrie of the Dawn is my 4 year old mustang mare from Sheepshead- Heath Creek HMA in Oregon. I adopted her from holding in March of 2024, and we competed in the first Mustang Classic in September of 2024. I have fallen in love with working with these incredible horses, and look forward to Valkyrie’s future in dressage! – Paige B.WS Remington ❤️
A 2015 warm springs HMA gelding.
I adopted Remi in 2019, he was my first mustang. He has taught me so much over the last 7 years. From doing our first 3 day event, to running at training level! He’s been an amazing ambassador for the breed. I now have 3 mustangs I’ve trained for eventing. I love the breed and will never go back 🥰 – Megan W.🦄Nostalgia🦄 Aka, “The Real Life Unicorn” because that’s exactly what she is! Nostalgia is a 7yo Mustang mare from Divide Basin, WY. She began her wild to mild journey in November of 2023 when I adopted her out of holding. 100 days later she competed and won Overall High Point in the adult division of the Wild to Mild Mustang Makeover, and also claimed the overall High Point Champion title across ALL 5 or so divisions. – Kaylianna H.
