07/15/2024
In honor of National I Love Horses Day, we want to tell you a touching story from the Great Divide Basin HMA.
Wild horse photographer and advocate, Kimerlee Curyl, was photographing the incredible Great Divide Basin horses when she encountered a heavily pregnant and stunning white mare. Keeping a respectful distance, Kimerlee observed the mare and her family interact.
As she watched, a group of boisterous bachelor stallions approached, attempting to steal mares from their stallion. However, the lead stallion was not about to back down. With fury and determination, he fought off the bachelors.
The other mares and a few youngsters in the group were extremely distressed but knew they had to protect their pregnant family member. They began running in circles around her, kicking up dust to create a protective barrier. This made it incredibly difficult for any bachelor to infiltrate the group.
Kimerlee documented this experience, writing:
“Finally, the stallion drove the last of the bachelors towards the horizon. The ground shook with the stampeding of hooves across the desert floor. I didn’t think he could do it, but he did. The powerful stallion won this battle with his strength, determination, and the unbreakable family bond they possessed. He swiftly galloped back to the family and returned directly to her side with an air of chivalry—a testament to the enduring noble nature of the wild. She returned her tired head to the space upon his back where she had been resting, let out a big breath, and all was calm in their world once again. Witnessing such events and moments in their wild world is the inspiration to continue the fight to keep them wild.”
This moment is especially poignant as AWHC’s lawyers, along with Kimerlee Curyl as a co-plaintiff, head to court to argue two cases that will determine the fate of wild horses from Wyoming’s Checkerboard, including the Salt Wells and the Great Divide Basin Herd Management Areas (HMA). The outcome of these cases will set an important precedent: Will private interests be allowed to dictate the use of public lands and decide whether our federally protected wild horses and burros can live on them?
Photo by KIMERLEE CURYL PHOTOGRAPHY