chardonnay
A 25-year-old dowager Queen, a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother of South Steens legends, Chardonnay is likely related to Renegade’s dam, Calypso. We had known nothing about his mother until someone pointed her out to Kayce, who knew how much Renegade’s legacy means to Skydog. Ever since he passed away, a golden eagle frequently appears around his family. When we saw a golden eagle perched at the entrance to the corrals, we sensed a higher power was guiding us. We arrived intending to identify one, but could not have left without giving permanent refuge to three.
Kayce, the BLM adoption staff, asked us to take Chardonnay and Cloud with Calypso because the three are deeply bonded. Moving as one and never leaving each other’s sides, they are probably related. Followed by groups in the wild, they were left to their grim fate once they’d been rounded up. After nearly two years at the corrals, they were slated for long-term holding. Had Kayce not brought this to our attention, they would have disappeared forever without a trace.
Loading and hauling went well with little pressure needed. Chardonnay followed Calypso on and off the trailer and seems content to follow her around their introductory 40-acres pen. She holds back when Calypso draws nearer to humans, but she’ll push the others off their hay. As she relaxes into the familiar scents and sounds of her Oregon habitat with plenty of nutritious feed and clean water, she’ll soon understand that’s not necessary. She will never want for anything again.
At first, it’s hard to tell these gorgeous Golden Girls apart. With time, their personalities, quirks, preferences, and needs will be revealed. Chardonnay has a distinctive blaze wrapped around one eye. It’s almost a bald face. There are pale markings on their sides, which will become clearer as the mud washes off - many South Steens mustangs have markings that resemble puzzle pieces or countries on a map.
The South Steens herd is visible and photographed in the wild. We have some beautiful images of Chardonnay, thanks to Shannon Phifer. That herd has a following of groups that tend to be proprietary, so we have not traditionally followed them. Last year, very unexpectedly, the South Steens came to us through a number of good-hearted people who wanted to see Cruiser’s scattered family reunited at Skydog. That growing band may be a good placement for the Golden Girls with our plan to release them onto an 1800-acres parcel. But it’s up to them. They will tell us where and with whom they want to be. For now, it is just so good to have them here as Renegade’s golden eagle soars.
Mustangs and Burros Need Your Help
In addition to supporting our work by donating, becoming a patron on Patreon, or sponsoring a Skydog, there are several important pieces of legislation to protect American equines currently moving through Congress. It only takes a few minutes to contact your Rep and Senators and urge them to support these bills:
Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act of 2023 (H.R. 3475 in the House / S.2307 in the Senate). This bill will shut down the slaughter pipeline that sends some 20,000 American horses and donkeys to savagely monstrous deaths in foreign slaughterhouses every year.
The Wild Horse & Burro Protection Act of 2023 (H. R. 3656) This bill will prohibit the use of helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft in the management of wild mustangs and burros on public lands, and require a report on humane alternatives to current management practices.
Ejiao Act of 2023 (H.R. 6021). To ban the sale or transportation of ejiao, a gelatin made from boiling donkey skins, or products containing ejiao in interstate or foreign commerce, which brutally kills millions of donkeys primarily for beauty products and Chinese medicine.
You can Contact Members of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121, submitting contact forms on their individual websites, or sending one email to all three simultaneously at www.democracy.io