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Forever Branded Invitational
Wild Horse Challenge
Midwest Horse Fair is teaming up with Forever Branded and the Bureau of Land Management for an exciting new competition that puts trust, partnership and horsemanship in the spotlight—the Forever Branded Invitational Wild Horse Challenge!
Twenty untamed horses gathered from Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands will be paired with 20 experienced horse trainers. Together, they’ll spend time building trust, developing communication and forming a bond with a horse that was once completely wild.
Then, the teams head to Midwest Horse Fair to put that relationship to the test! Competitors will face two preliminary trials on Friday and Saturday, showcasing the progress they’ve made and the connection they’ve built.
Only 10 teams will advance to the final round on Sunday, April 18, where they’ll compete for an incredible $50,000 in cash and prizes.
From wild to willing. From uncertainty to partnership. See what’s possible when trust comes first.
Schedule
- Friday April 16th: Ranch Riding Preliminary
- Saturday April 17th: Trail Obstacle Course Preliminary
- Sunday April 18th: Freestyle Final in Blain’s Farm and Fleet Coliseum
Time and locations to be announced with Midwest Horse Fair schedule in early March, 2027.
Prizes
The top 10 competitors will receive cash and prizes totaling $50,000!
How to Participate
This is an invitational so the competitors will receive an invitation from Forever Branded.
All are welcome to come watch each preliminary and the final freestyle which are available with your general admission ticket (no additional ticket purchase necessary).
Education
Wild horses and burros are a rich part of our American history. Current Wild horses and burros are descendants of equines that were released or escaped from ranchers, Spanish explorers, miners, U.S Cavalry and Native Americans. Many date back to the 1500s when the Spanish first introduced horses to America. During the early settlement of America horses and burros were essential for daily survival for transportation and agriculture.
Today there are millions of acres of protected public land dedicated to preserving the wild horse and burro to celebrate our deep American history. The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are tasked to manage this land and the wild horses and burros that call it home. Wild Horses and burros are protected by law and do not have natural predators so their numbers increase every year. The BLM has a responsibility to manage these numbers to ensure a healthy population of horses and burros to thrive. The BLM regularly monitors herd size, land health, vegetation quality and water availability. When the balance is off they collect excess horses and burros from the land and work to place them in caring new homes through adoption.
Forever Branded works with the BLM to find trainers and adopters for these wonderful equines. They host Branded Bonanza competitions where the goal is to create opportunities for trainers to improve their horsemanship and the horse or burro to learn skills they need to adjust to domestic life.
If you are interested in learning more about the efforts of the BLM and Forever Branded or how to adopt a Wild Horse or Burro visit the links below.
Forever Branded
Forever Branded Vision is to forever be steadfast champions of the wild horse and burro community. The Bureau of Land Management named Forever Branded its newest nationwide partner in November 2024.
Learn more: https://foreverbranded.org/
BLM
The Bureau of Land Management manages and protects wild horses and burros on 25.5 million acres of public lands across 10 Western states as part of its mission to administer public lands for a variety of uses. The Wild Horse and Burro Program's goal is to manage healthy wild horses and burros on healthy public rangelands.
Learn more: https://www.blm.gov/whb
Wild Horse Challenge proudly sponsored by: Blain's Farm and Fleet
