Wild horses, burros and trainers unite this weekend in Boise
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BOISE, Idaho – Trainers approved to adopt a wild horse or burro gathered from overpopulated Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public rangelands across the West will pick up their animal on Feb. 22 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and Feb. 23 from 8 a.m.-noon at the Boise Wild Horse Off-Range Corral. This pick up launches the journey for horse or burro and handler to prepare for competition during the 2025 annual Branded Bonanza event, July 4-6, 2025, in Nampa, Idaho.
There are 43 wild horses and a number of burros that have been adopted by 25 youth and 40 adult trainers for this year’s Branded Bonanza event. There are additional wild horses and burros available to be adopted for this event; trainers may learn more or apply at https://foreverbranded.org/branded-bonanza/.
“These training events really do help the BLM successfully place these special animals into private care,” said BLM Boise District Wild Horse and Burro Specialist Raul Trevino. “I really enjoy seeing the progress the trainers have made with their animals by the time the event rolls around in July.”
The Branded Bonanza builds upon the success of Mustang Mania, created and hosted by Matt and Stacie Zimmerman since 2016. “The goal of this competition is not to ’win,’" but rather offer an opportunity for the trainer to improve their horsemanship and the horse or burro to gain the skills they need to be successful in their new, domestic life,” said Branded Bonanza Outreach and Education Coordinator Ann Souders. “Our sincere hope is for the trainers to have fun as part of this competition and to come out of it with a sense of accomplishment and renewed love of America's wild horses and burros. Why? Because that is what will ensure growth in our community, growth in adoptions, and the BLM's ability to sustainably manage our wild horse and burro herds.”
In the last eight years, roughly 900 wild horses and burros have been adopted, trained and competed through the Branded Bonanza and former Mustang Mania events, making them BLM Idaho’s largest single adoption event.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.