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Norco Extreme Mustang Trail Challenge May 14-16 We're coming back! The Extreme Mustang Makeover will return to NORCO, CA on May 14-16, 2010: Once again, Mustangs will climb the Norco foothills and walk the streets of downtown to show what can be accomplished after 90 days with an approved trainer. Congratulations to Jenna Nelson and Lanny Leach! They will be competing in a smackdown performance on Saturday night for the fan favorite award! Buy your ticket for Saturday night, come see a great Mustang show and vote for your Favorite Trainer in person! Results: Conditioning | In-Hand & Rural | Horse Course & Urban | Finals | Adoptions VOTE HERE FOR YOUR FAVORITE NORCO EXTREME MUSTANG MAKEOVER TRAINER! THE DEACON PREACHES A SERMON AT THE EXTREME TRAIL CHALLENGE
The Norco event encompassed more elements than any other Extreme Mustang Makeover held this season. Requiring mustangs and their trainers to not only compete in the routine body conditioning, as well as in hand and under saddle obstacle courses, the Extreme Trail Challenge did what it names suggests - challenged horses on the trail. Mustangs and their trainers first took on the rugged terrain of the foothills surrounding Norco, with a game David Kneller of Paso Robles, CA, leading his mustang Polaris Mustang along the entire route. But, at the end of the day, it was Walker with trainer Lanny Leach in the saddle that had the lead going into the urban trail course. With sirens blaring, dogs barking and llamas peaking through fences, the Mustangs strolled through the streets of Norco May 15 were seemingly nonplussed with the activity around them. The 28 competing horses also went "off road" to the riverbed outside Norco that stretches from the city all the way to Huntington Beach. With a chance to walk in the sand and come across the occasional coyote, mustangs were also able to cool off in a shallow river crossing before heading back to the Ingalls Equestrian Center for the evening's finals performance. The favorite going into the finals was Chizm under the hand of Utah Extreme Mustang Makeover reserve champion Ruth Livingston of Moroni, Utah, but the quiet one was coming to take the win in what was one of the closest top 10 competitions in Extreme Mustang Makeover history. Judged by longtime industry experts in reined cow horse, reining and trail Sandy Arledge of San Diego, Bill Enk of Paso Robles and Pat Wickenheiser of Aqua Dulce, Calif., the 10 finalists brought on a show that included beautiful choreography, amazing athleticism and incredible cow work. Paicines, Calif., trainer Don Douglas's cow work, even while taking jumps, with Smokey garnered almost perfect scores from the judges, as did the work of Tom Shiloh of Pahrump, Nev., whose tribute to Spanish riding techniques aboard Silent mesmerized the crowds. But it was Wedemeyer and The Deacon who scored a perfect 10 under Bill Enk and 9.5 scores from the other judges, who declared they couldn't believe what they were seeing from a wild horse with 90-days training. The Deacon began the sermon by quietly pulling a barrel into the arena and then moved on with the message to the strains of cowboy music working effortlessly through figure eights, a perfect simple lead change and then taking on a feisty corriente steer down the fence line to the roar from the 2,000 fans. Wedemeyer was awarded the Gist Silversmiths buckle for the win and $2,500, while Shiloh and Douglas shared the second place title and earnings of $2,000 each. The Deacon was adopted on Sunday, May 16 for $3,000, while the high-adopting horse was Poster Boy, trained by Janet Titus of Coyote Lake, Calif., who was adopted for $3,500. The average adoption price on the 28 horses was $1,611.
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Georgetown, Tex., May 17 - It's the quiet ones you've got to watch out for. The Deacon, a well-made American Mustang trained by Gary Wedemeyer of Winton, Calif., seemed to come out of nowhere to preach a sermon on the talents of a wild horse with 90 days training. It was sermon one could believe in as the five-year-old gelding went on to take the win in the $9,000 Extreme Mustang Makeover Trail Challenge in Norco, Calif.