Pelos is single-hoofedly making Mustangs cool in the California eventing world. His 8th place finish, with professional Antoine Aubriot, in the American Eventing Championships Beginner Novice Rider division last month was the latest coup in a campaign to promote this truly American breed’s potential in the english disciplines.
Pelos’ owner Mary Enright admits that her purchase of the 15.1-hand Mustang was not part of any grand plan. The Portola Valley, California, horsewoman has supported efforts to save America’s Mustangs through donations and awareness raising for several years. When she saw Pelos online, as a so-called “three-strikes” Mustang, she took her support to the next level and bought him.
A ”three strikes” Mustang is one that has been through three Bureau of Land Management auctions without being adopted. The “adoption” process has requirements to increase the chance of a successful new home; versus a “purchase,” which has no such requirements.
The “BLM” is the federal agency charged with managing the various uses legally permitted on public lands. This includes managing what remains of America’s wild horse population – per the 1971 Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act. There is long-standing and ongoing controversy about how to best manage wild Mustangs, but there’s no doubt that buying a three-strikes mustang saves it from a potentially tragic end.
“I just really believe in the rescue of Mustangs in general,” Mary explains. “I got a random email about Mustangs going up for auction. (The Kentucky auction was held online because of COVID.) His conformation – his angles and topline — made me think he’d have great potential. It was a very spontaneous thing when I bought him.”
She credits East Coast-based eventer Elisa Wallace with planting the idea that Mustangs can excel in the sport. “Most people think western disciplines when they think of Mustangs coming out of the Mustang Makeover program,” Mary says. “Elisa has done a lot to change that.”
“It was my goal to show the Mustang’s abilities in the english-discipline world, and I thought Pelos had the right gaits and talent to do that. It ended up being a good guess!”
A Good Start
Mary first “played around” with Pelos herself. He came from the Devil’s Garden Herd Management Area in California and is a graduate of the Mustang Heritage Foundation’s Mustang Makeover program. With the professional who started him out of the wild, Isidro Espinoza, Pelos was reserve champion at the 2021 Kentucky Extreme Mustang Makeover.
He had a good start when he arrived to Mary in 2023, yet she recognized there were some “holes to fill in” in preparation for eventing’s three phases.
Pelos worked briefly with a dressage trainer before Mary reached out to Antoine. The French-born hunter/jumper professional came highly recommended from a friend. His Stone Harbor LLC training program is based at The Horse Park at Woodside.
“Antoine wound up being so phenomenal with a green, young horse. He has the patience of a saint and the enthusiasm of a kid,” Mary reports. “He was able to convince Pelos to drop any fear and go along with what he wants to do.”
Antoine describes the progression a little differently. In his view, Pelos has taken the lead in their journey. “When he doesn’t want to do something, he can’t be forced to do it.”
A Frenchman’s Finesse
Antoine is not a “forcer” anyway. Raised in France to master all three Olympic equestrian disciplines, he’s well-known as a sensitive, compassionate horseman with success up to Grand Prix jumping level.
Pelos adds new dimensions to Antoine’s horsemanship. “He’s different. He’s special. He’s an old soul,” says Antoine in attempting to describe Pelos’ personality and the horse’s impact on his horsemanship. “Sometimes we don’t do anything. I let him walk and do whatever he wants.”
Yet, even if a planned training lesson is abandoned, Pelos’ progress continues. After a few jumper schooling shows, the pair contested their first event last October. Pelos has been focused primarily on eventing since February of this year. Antoine began targeting the AEC when another of his clients decided she wanted to qualify for and compete in the Championships held at Galway Downs.
“Throughout the season, he’s been pretty good at shows,” Antoine explains. “He shows up for me when I need him to.” Their road to the AEC included 6th placed finishes in the Open Starter division at Woodside and in the Beginner Novice at Fresno Horse Park.
When Pelos speaks, Antoine listens. While schooling at Twin Rivers in May, Pelos tried to avoid some jumps for the first time. “He’d only been jumping less than a year, and he was trying to tell me we needed to slow down.” They took two weeks off – one week of no riding and another of “happy hacking.” At their next event, “he was perfect.”
Pelos is the first Mustang Antoine has worked with, and he acknowledges that they may not all have Pelos’ mindset. “Sometimes, he just gives me no answer,” the trainer shares. Other times, “He’s very much like a sponge” when it comes to learning and retaining new lessons.
Jumping – in the arena and on cross-country – comes naturally to Pelos. “He’s fearless on cross-country,” Antoine notes. Dressage has been more challenging. “He has a lot of Iberian blood in him. He has a huge, wide neck and he tends to get stuck behind the vertical when I try to put him round.” It took a few months to get Pelos to lengthen in his body and stride and to relax, loosen up and go forward.
Antoine believes Pelos can easily excel at Novice level. His ideal next steps will involve a lease to the right amateur or young rider who wants to be competitive and have fun.
A Warm Welcome
From his previous career as a representative for Devoucoux Saddles, Antoine had many friends and connections in the english disciplines when he became a professional trainer about three years ago. Before Pelos, his competitive accomplishments and clientele were in the hunter/jumper realm, but those are now split with the eventing realm.
Eventers immediately embraced Pelos. He has a BLM brand on the right side of his neck and a long flowing mane on the right. “People always tell me how pretty he is and how cool it is to see a Mustang doing eventing,” Antoine shares. His high-kneed jumping style and dramatic tail-flip complete the indelible impression Pelos makes on everyone who sees him in action.
“He has a phenomenal heart and attitude, talent and amazing feet,” adds Mary of her shoeless wonder. “He’s very beautiful in my opinion and he is sweet as pie with other horses. He was raised in a herd so he doesn’t have that aggressiveness and he knows how to respect other horses’ body language.” That latter detail is one of “the little things you discover when you buy a Mustang,” she adds.
For those inspired to adopt a Mustang, this BLM article is good first step. It explains the criteria and sets expectations. The closest BLM adoption events through the year are in Colorado and can be found here. Online Corral adoptions are another option.
