Spring Creek Basin Mustangs

Thanks to Ann Bond of the San Juan National Forest (adopter of burros, lover of mustangs) for this most exciting news (to yours truly, anyway) of the new year: A Spring Creek Basin mustang will be part of the U.S. Border Patrol contingent in Washington, D.C. for the inauguration of soon-to-be President Barack Obama.

WOWOWOWOWOW!?!?!

A Sand Wash Basin mustang also will be part of the 10-mustang group, which are part of the unit based in Spokane, Wash., I think. I’m going to try to do a story for my paper, so I’ll have more information soon, but here’s a little bit of what I know (which, admittedly, isn’t much) about Justice, of Spring Creek Basin.

Buckskin Justice was spotted outside the herd area on private property at least as early as May 2007 with some domestic horses. He was gathered on that property by the contractor and aged at 10. Because of his estimated age and the fact that he had gotten out of the fenced herd area (and might do it again), the decision was made to remove him, and he was sent to Canon City.

As it turned out, the contractor had missed the mark by five years, and at Canon City, it was determined that he was actually 5 years old. The U.S. Border Patrol has started using mustangs in its program along both the Mexican and Canadian borders (did you see the great article last year in Western Horseman?). Horses have to meet certain criteria to be accepted by the Border Patrol, which I imagine have to do with conformation and attitude (I’ll find out). Our stocky little guy met those standards, and a star was in the making. Bob Ball, our BLM herd area manager, sent me a copy of a newspaper “photo page” last year that came from the Canon City newspaper.

Before the holidays, word got out that the Spokane unit was sending eight to 12 mustangs to D.C. We were all atwitter (well, I was, anyway), wondering if Justice would be one of those horses. Today, word from Ann: A horse from Spring Creek Basin and a horse from Sand Wash Basin are going to Washington.

Disclaimer: I didn’t know anything about Justice before the gather, so I can’t give much information about his background. But even though I didn’t know anything about him, it makes me incredibly emotional that one of “our” horses has been so recognized. What a story!

Here are a couple of the photos I have of him from Aug. 20, 2007, immediately after he was gathered.

Justice and Shorty

Justice is the buckskin, and the sorrel in the trailer with him is Shorty, the Judas horse used by the contractor. Even partially obscured by the trailer, you can see his great conformation.

Justice

Pretty good looking horse, isn’t he?

To end this post, I have to say how hopeful I am for the potential of the new administration to have a positive impact on the management of our country’s natural resources, including, of course, our wild horses. How appropriate to have mustangs – symbols of our history, of our freedom, of our resiliency – be present at the beginning of a new presidential term.

Watch for Justice! I have no idea what the television schedule is for the inauguration parade, but I’ll post more information as I get it. And Bob, Ann, Claude – anyone – please send me information, if you have it, about Justice, and I’ll post it here!