Source:  News Release

 

 

Drew Olsen Wins 2011 Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover
Mustangs and their trainers competed for their share of the $200,000 in purses and prizes.

Georgetown, Texas – The Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover, billed as the richest wild horse competition in history, did not disappoint as trainers traveled from across the United States to show what they had accomplished with their Mustangs in just four months. 

Drew Olsen and Mercedes won the Legends division with a score of 188.5 in the compulsories and 268 in the freestyle finals. Mercedes is a 2006 black mare gathered from the granite range in Nevada. Olsen is from Roopville, Georgia. The victory was worth $50,000. To be eligible for the $200,000 Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover, Mustangs had to be adopted from the April 16, 2011 adoption auction through Superior Livestock Auctions on RFD-TV.

“I was disappointed when I saw her because she is so little,” Olsen said of the 13-hand mare. “I thought, ‘I’m way too big to ride her.’ ”

But he quickly became a believer as Mercedes won his heart by showing how big her heart is.

“She’s the best horse that I have ever had,” Olsen continued about the mare he adopted for $600. “She’s just got more heart and more try. We rode her so hard this weekend all three days, and she just keeps going. She just won’t quit. She has tried so hard. It’s unbelievable!

“She was not my first choice but I was glad to have her. I think she’s got a good home for a while. I really like her and I am taking her home. We’re going to treat her good.” 

Olsen and Mercedes scored one point more than reserve champions Wylene Wilson of Kingman, Arizona, and Secret Freedom. Secret Freedom is a 2006 bay mare gathered from Callaghan Herd Management Area in Nevada. Wilson earned $15,000. 

The fans at the 2011 Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover chose Bobby Kerr as the Fan Favorite, and the Hico, Texas, resident received a check for $5,000 in addition to his other prize money. Also, Road to the Horse’s Tootie Bland was in attendance and invited Bobby Kerr to present a demonstration at the 2012 Road to the Horse event in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Kerr finished fourth with Poncho and fifth with Lefty at his first Mustang training competition. 

Exciting new changes were implemented at the Supreme competition. In addition to the $100,000 Legends division, two new divisions were added – the $50,000 Idols division and the $20,000 Stars division. Mustangs competing in the Legends and Idols division participated in three riding classes – trail, pattern and a trainer’s choice. Mustangs competing in the Star division were shown in-hand and not ridden in the competition.

In the Idols division, Kirk Christiansen of Emery, Utah, and Slim took home the champion’s check worth $20,000. Slim is a 2006 sorrel gelding gathered from the Nevada Wild Horse Range. Christiansen and Slim displayed great skill with flying lead changes and a mounted shooting display. Mozaun McKibben and Mustang Sally, a 2006 red roan mare gathered from the Delamar Herd Management Area in Nevada, were the reserve champions of the Idols division.

In the Stars division, Brandee Livingston of Florence, Mississippi, and Doc’s Aurthur Fonzarelli “The Fonz” wowed the judges when the 2006 sorrel gelding went off lead and positioned himself on a pedestal. The Fonz was gathered from the Tobin Range Herd Management Area in Nevada. Livingston received $7,000. Reed Kyle of Whitesboro, Texas, and Richard, a 2005 brown gelding from Nevada’s Black Rock Range were reserve champs in the Stars division.

Complete results including preliminary, finals and bonus division placings can be found at www.extrememustangmakeover.com.

It was a true dog and pony show as the Extreme Mutt Makeover was contested in conjunction with the Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover. Shannon Kiley and Jasper, a 2-year-old pointer-whippet, were crowned the champions of the Extreme Mutt Makeover. The Mustang Heritage Foundation is proud to partner with the Humane Society of North Texas to help showcase that proper training can transform the lives of shelter dogs. Visit hsntextrememuttmakeover.shutterfly.com/ to learn more about the Mutt Makeover. 

The Mustang Heritage Foundation in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, www.blm.gov, created the Extreme Mustang Makeover event to highlight the recognized value of Mustangs through a national training competition. The events give the public a unique opportunity to see the results of wild horses becoming trained mounts and then have the opportunity to adopt one of these treasured animals.

Since the inception of the Extreme Mustang Makeover event in 2007, the Mustang Heritage Foundation has placed more than 3,000 Mustangs. The Extreme Mustang Makeover is sponsored by Pfizer, Western Horseman Magazine, Ram Trucks, Martin Saddlery, Smith Brothers, Vertericyn, Gist Silversmiths and the American Competitive Trail Horse Association. For more information on the Mustang Heritage Foundation or Extreme Mustang Makeovers visit www.mustangheritagefoundation.org. The Extreme Mustang Makeover will make its next stop in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, October 21-23.