Hope

Hope and her colt Sterling, survived their capture on October 3, 2010 from their home range on the Silver King Herd Management Area (HMA).

Stampeded by deafening helicopters, and chased relentlessly over dangerous terrain, Galahad’s lead mare, Hope, the queen of the herd, sustained a serious wound, her face ripped open in the chase.

After the helicopter assault, Galahad and his mares and foals were forced into a trap at the capture site, where they were held in a pressure-cooker situation with two other bands in the same small enclosure. In the ensuing chaos, Galahad bravely fought off the other stallions for five hours to protect his injured mare– losing the rest of his family band– his other mares and offspring — as a consequence of his dedication to his hurt lead mare.

Galahad fighting for Hope in capture trap.
Photo: Laura Leigh

Imagine—the bond between them. For 5 hours Galahad fights without rest, only to loose her and his young colt Sterling in the end.

We can only imagine the terror, and desperation she felt as she tried to stay near him and protect their young colt. But after 5 hours, they stood behind the metal bars and watched him loaded onto a large semi-truck and hauled away. Heartwrenching.

Watching Galahad leave

Thanks to the support given to our work by caring people all over the world, we found a way to undo one terrible injustice—the seeming total loss of Galahad’s family.

Thanks to a determined ally, Laura Leigh, Galahad was followed to Gunnison Prison. Laura Leigh alerted Return to Freedom and we were able to get possession of Galahad.

RTF tracked down Galahad’s cherished mare, Hope, and his beautiful, curious son, Sterling and moved them to a leased holding area in Nevada.  

Hope and her colt Sterling at Fallon Holding Corrals.

Now– against all odds– the trio are safe.

Since 2011, RTF has had to board the mares from the Silver King and Calico roundups, at our coalition partner Dreamcatcher Sanctuary in Termo California. Sterling along with the stallions came to RTF’s sanctuary but the mares have been roaming 600 acres in northern California for the past 4 years.

This Holiday season, we will be able to reunite Galahad with Hope (and two other bay mares he lost in the roundup) at Return to Freedom’s American Wild Horse Sanctuary, San Luis Obispo, California location!

Related Resource Links

Silver King Herd Management Area Wild Horse Gather – BLM Report 2010

Photographer wins appeal over access to horse roundup

Silver King, NV 2010- Wild Horse Education post

Silver King Round Up-Death of Braveheart