Madeleine and T. Boone Pickens of Dallas, Texas, adopters of two Extreme Mustang Makeover equine contenders, El Compadre and Felio, presented the mustangs to Southern Methodist University during its contest against Navy October 17 in Dallas.

The announcement was made during a press conference highlighting the coming halftime activities at Gerald Ford Stadium on the SMU campus.  At the game, Madeleine and T. Boone Pickens will present SMU President Dr. Gerald Turner, SMU Head Football Coach June Jones and Southern Methodist University with the beautiful and trained Nevada Mustangs as a gift to the school.

“This is a great opportunity for our program and we were honored that the Pickens’ approached the Foundation to assist them in identifying appropriate horses,” said Patti Colbert, Executive Director of the Mustang Heritage Foundation (MHF). “The Foundation certainly supports Madeleine in her goal to protect the wild horse population and appreciates her bringing attention to the value of the human-animal bond created through the mustangs, their trainers and adopters.”

El Compadre, a three-year-old bay gelding gathered from the Maverick Medicine herd management area, will be under the hand of trainer Jesus Jaruegui of Bailey’s Harbor, Wis. El Compadre and Jaruegui were among the top 10 in the Legends division at the recent Extreme Mustang Makeover Western Stampede competition in Fort Worth September 18-20.

The black gelding, Felio, also a three-year-old, will have trainer Scott Stinemetz of Great Bend, Kan., in the saddle. Felio, who was among the top 20 in Legends competition, was gathered from the Owyee region of Nevada.

Currently, the mustangs are under the care of SMU Equestrian Team Head Coach Haley Schoolfield.

“These mustangs are certainly not what we expected and don’t fit the stereotype,” she said. “They are truly good looking horses and we’re amazed with how far they’ve come in their training under Jesus and Scott.”

Ms. Pickens said the connection with the SMU Mustangs and her goal to protect wild horses through her National Wild Horse Foundation was “divine intervention.”

“I’m sure there are people wondering why we are doing all of this,” said Madeleine Pickens.  “One of my life’s passions is to protect and save America’s Wild Horses -- a living symbol of our American heritage and freedom.  What better place to get the word out about protecting and saving wild horses than Dallas, Texas, and a football game at the home of the SMU Mustangs.  We thought the perfect game would be against Navy, as we can not only salute the American Mustang, but we also can salute the men and women of our Armed Forces.”

Ms Pickens was joined at the news conference by her husband, as well as Dr. Turner, Coach Jones, and former Dallas Cowboy quarterback and NFL Hall of Famer Roger Staubach, a member of the National Wild Horse Foundation advisory board, which is chaired by Coach Jones.

The Extreme Mustang Makeover, the nation’s most unique equine competition, will offer an estimated $300,000 in prize money as it enters its third year of competition after two years of what industry observers are calling nothing short of amazing events across the United States. Working in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, nearly 2,000 mustangs have been placed for adoption through MHF programs and events.