Area youth compete in Wild Horse Youth Challenge at Kansas State Fair
Organization
BLM Office:
Media Contact:
NORMAN, Okla. – On Sept. 16-17, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will co-host the Wild Horse Youth Challenge along with the Kansas State Fair and the Wild Horse Youth Challenge Board and volunteers. The event will feature 28 youth, ages ten to 18-years-old, who began gentling and training a yearling wild horse in May. At the fair, the youth will compete in three in-hand events, a showmanship class, a trail class around obstacles and a freestyle class.
After the show on Sunday, Sept. 17, the trained yearlings will be available to qualified adopters by competitive bid. Any amount above $125 will be retained by the youth trainer. If the youth trainer wants to keep their horse, the horse will not be available for adoption. Eleven youth have decided to offer their trained yearling horses for adoption.
“It is amazing to see how the youth have developed their horsemanship skills while helping place wild horses into private care,” said Wild Horse Youth Challenge President Tammy Halsey. “This is our sixth year partnering with the Kansas State Fair and the Bureau of Land Management to produce this event and it gets better every year.”
The animals offered at the event are yearling horses that once roamed free on public lands in the West. The BLM periodically removes excess animals from the range in order to maintain healthy herds and protect other rangeland resources. The adoption and sale programs are essential for achieving these important management goals. Since 1973, the BLM has placed more than 240,000 of these animals in approved homes across the country.
BLM staff will be on hand to assist with the short application process and approve applications onsite.
To qualify:
- Applicants must be at least 18 years old with no record of animal abuse.
- Homes must have a minimum of 400 square feet of corral space per animal, with access to food, water and shelter.
- Corral fence must meet height requirements:
- Adult horses - 6 feet
- Burros - 4.5 feet
Yearlings or trained horses - 5 feet - Trailers must be stock type, covered, with swing gates and sturdy walls/floors.
The Kansas State Fair is located at 2000 North Poplar St., Hutchinson, Kan. 67502. For more information, call 866-468-7826 or visit www.blm.gov.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.