It was 10:00 AM on a Monday morning in the middle of summer vacation. For a late July morning in Tennessee, it was unusually chilly. Brittney, Frida, and Yhara were not at their homes in bed, at the breakfast table, or in front of the television; they were standing at attention by their horses at a Mustang Leadership Partners practice. As Sue Anne Wells called out the choreography, each girl’s face displayed a mixture of concentration, determination, confidence, and joy. Each girl was doing her very best to remember the choreography; each wanted to get it just right!
What would draw these girls out on a Monday morning during their vacation from school? The opportunity of a lifetime – the chance to perform at the Mustang Million event in September in Fort Worth, Texas.
The Mustang Heritage Foundation, in collaboration with the Bureau of Land Management, is presenting the unparalleled Mustang Million event from September 16 to 22 at the Will Rogers Memorial Facility in Fort Worth, Texas. One thousand mustangs will be eligible for participation in this grand event that offers $1 million in cash and prizes to trainers and presenters!
In the midst of one thousand mustangs and thousands of mustang enthusiasts, three students from the Mustang Leadership Partners in Chattanooga, Tennessee will have the amazing opportunity to showcase the beauty and agility of three MLP mustangs – Chief, Breeze, and Satin. As the girls perform a choreographed dance with their horses to country music star Jimmy Wayne’s “Where You’re Going,” they will demonstrate to spectators how stunning, trainable, and controlled wild mustangs can be when adopted, cared for, and properly trained. Chief, Breeze, and Satin are shining examples of the grace of the American mustang, and the MLP girls shine just as brightly when they perform with the horses.
VC, who was not at this particular practice, is the oldest and most experienced of this band of MLP students. Her face lights up when she talks about the upcoming trip to Texas. Having traveled with MLP to an Extreme Mustang Makeover (EMM) event in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, she is no stranger to large mustang adoption events. This trip will be different, however; she and her classmates will be performing in front of a large audience! VC is excited about performing with Chief and the other horses, but she is more excited to see how the mustangs, who are ready for adoption, have grown and progressed during their time with their trainers. Brittney, another seasoned veteran of MLP, is really looking forward to visiting Texas for the first time and staying several nights in the Lone Star State. For some of the girls, this trip will be their first time on an airplane! Brittney also traveled with MLP to the EMM event in Murfreesboro, but this trip will be even more special. Yhara, a 7th grade student, is focused on the choreography, which she loves. She especially enjoys the running with Satin and the sending in a circle because that part is done in unison. The fourth member of the group, Frida, is an alternate for this event and has worked just as hard as her classmates. She has some ballet experience, so as she has practiced, she has primarily focused on the choreography. She really hopes she and her classmates perform well in Texas!
For all the girls, this trip will undoubtedly be a highlight of the 2013-2014 school year! Mustang Million, get ready to host some stars!