Lewis and Clark - two grand pinto stallions from the Oregon "Hollywood" herd - so named because it is the most photographed herd in America. Photo (c) BLM USA
June 10, 2006
We have finally reached one of our most exciting goals to date. The grand opening of our 160 acre Born to be Wild Sanctuary. In celebration we are also able to release two famous mustangs known as Lewis and Clark. Here is they're incredible story...
In December of 2003, a couple of wild horse lovers, Nancy and Mike, who are also friends of Lifesavers, came upon a photograph (similar to the one shown above) at the Las Vegas Cowboy Christmas Gift Show.
Deeply moved by the sheer emotion of the photograph - the two wildly colored stallions standing up on their hind legs, pawing at each other as stallions often do when vying for a mare or herd status - they didn't hesitate to purchase it. They took the photograph home, framed it and hung it proudly on a wall in their living room.
Every day for two years, Nancy and Mike walked by the photograph as they went about their daily activities. In a way (that only you as a horse enthusiast can understand) they came to know these two stallions, their unique coloring and personalities.
Even though in the photograph the horses appeared to be fighting, Nancy and Mike sensed - deep down they just knew - that the two bachelor stallions were the best of friends and probably had been all their lives.
Then one day something amazing happened...
During one of her routine visits to the BLM's website, Nancy came across a notice of the BLM's quarterly internet auction. Featured were color snapshots of six older pinto stud horses.
Immediately Nancy's heart began to pound...
"Wait a minuite," she thought, "I know that horse!" And indeed, it turned out that she did.
"Mark for mark, fleck for fleck," one of the horses was definitely the same as in the photograph hanging on her living room wall!
How could it be?
Nancy could barely believe her eyes.
But she and her husband knew exactly what they had to do. They had to rescue this horse from the destination we all fear: the slaughterhouse. They needed to bring the horse to their home and gentle and train it to be their pet, and their mountain riding partner. At least that's what they hoped.
So they called the BLM and faxed in an auction bid and waited.
But there's more...
In the days just following the couple's realization that one of the poor horses crammed into the BLM holding facility was the same as in their photograph, a friend noticed another familiar face. The other horse in the stallion photo.
It only seemed right to Nancy and Mike that these two horses, which had "brought so much pleasure and beauty to so many people over the years, deserved better treatment than a feedlot and a trip to the slaughterhouse - that they should get to finish out thier lives together."
So they faxed another bid.
Remember that the only reason any of these horses were to be sold by the BLM in the first place is because of the sneaky, so-called "humanitarian" amendment Senator Conrad Burns slipped into the year-end federal appropriations bill in late 2004.
In doing so, he robbed thousands of horses of the protection they had for more than 30 years under the 1971 Wild Free-roaming Horse and Burro Act - condemning them to the slaughterhouse. Of course, Lifesavers has been and will continue to strenuously press for an end to horse slaughter.
The good news is that Nancy and Mike won both bids.
Shortly thereafter they drove to Oregon to pick up their new family members.
They named the stallions Lewis and Clark, aptly so after the famous explorers who, just like these wild stallions and their ancestors, are so representative of the pioneering spirit that made our country great.
Upon returning home, Nancy and Mike brought in expert wild horse trainers to work with Lewis and Clark. But even though they had been gelded before leaving the BLM, they still had the will and mindset of stallions. At 17 and 22 years of age they probably always will.
Although the trainers and handlers made great progress, Lewis and Clark aren't cut out for domestic horse life and clearly will never make safe riding mounts.
Despite and because of thier deep love for the two stallions and the ironic, almost inbelievable, set of circumstances that brought hem to the home where their photograph hung on the living room wall, Nancy and Mike faced a difficult decision. They wanted only the best life for Lewis and Clark.
Sadly, they faced the realization that this would have to be somewhere else.
So they picked up the phone and called Lifesavers...
They asked if we could put Lewis and Clark in our Born to be Wild Sanctuary and let them live out their lives wild and free as God intended.
With no hesitation we resounded a "hell yeah!" and on June 10th we released the two famed pintos on the sanctuary.
It brought tears to everybody's eyes. Tears of joy that we can do this small favor for Lewis and Clark and tears of sadness that we can't do it for all of them.
1. Lewis and Clark coming out of the trailer. 2. Passing through the gates to freedom 3. Looking back at us and saying "thanks"
Special thanks to a few of our friends who came out to the sanctuary to celebrate the release of Lewis and Clark with us: Nancy and Mike; Angi, Jensen, Isabel and Sebastian; Chris, Larry and Marty; Kate, Mike and Austin; Rob; Joe and Paula; Diana, Kirsten and Steven.
Phone for more information: 661-727-0049 or email lifesavers@wildhorserescue.org
© 1997 Lifesavers, Inc.