GARDEN CITY, Idaho — On the final day of the Western Idaho Fair, wild horses trained by 4-H members were adopted in a silent auction, raising money for the 4-H clubs involved.
It's part of a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) partnership with the University of Idaho.
"The kids get to take the horses home for about 8 to 10 weeks where they take a wild horse home and train it for adoption," Tina Reay, the 4-H leader for the program, said.
Max Bearden has been taking part in the program since he was twelve.
"This is B&B which is Big and Bold. He's about a year and a half old, and he was a little tougher to train. He's a little stubborn," Bearden said.
This is Bearden's last year. He shared why he's taken part in the Wild Horse Training Program for the last five years.
"The thrill so to say of training a wild mustang," Bearden explained.
BLM manages wild horses across ten states and has adoption programs for excess horses. Adoption is done through silent auction after the application approval.
some of the money raised goes to the 4-H clubs involved.
"I think we've raised over $65,000 for 4-H clubs and have adopted out over 350 wild horses," Reay said.
At Sunday's event, all five horses were adopted, raising $640 for the 4-H clubs.
You can find more wild horse adoption events on the Bureau of Land Management's website.
