ADOPTING A WILD HORSE

Ten-year-old Kyle Reed called to a wild mustang that was up for adoption Saturday at Flickerwood Arena near Fruitland.

FRUITLAND -- Less than a decade ago, Mercedes didn't have a name or a home. The young mustang was among the more than 165,000 horses and burros roaming the wild country in the western United States.

Today, Mercedes has a home, a name, and some impressive credentials.

"She's an experienced endurance race participant," said her owner, Walt Gentry, of Mount Vernon, Ill.

She has performed in front of thousands of people in an invitation-only Midwest Horse Show.

The Gentrys, Walt and his wife, Melody, have a dozen wild mustangs. They were at Flickerwood Arena near Fruitland Saturday, as volunteers for the U.S. Department of Interior's "Adopt a Living Legend" horse program, which permits people to adopt wild mustangs and burros.

"We adopted our first wild mustang in 1991 during an adoption program at Newcastle, Ind.," said Melody Gentry. "Since then we have adopted a total of 18 mustangs."

Ninety-five animals -- 47 mustangs and 48 burros -- were available for adoption this weekend. A few still remain unadopted.

But the majority of mustangs were adopted by noon Saturday.

About half of the burros remained and that was a surprise, said Sharon Exarhos, a specialist with the Bureau of Land Management in Milwaukee, Wis.

"Many people want the burros," said Exharos. "These animals are loyal and smart. And, many of them are already practically domesticated. We usually don't have this many burros at an adoption program."

Exarhos said burros are good at controlling predators, will run off coyotes and kill snakes but won't hurt a farmer's own animals. They make good farm yard pets.

Some of the mustangs were being adopted in pairs this time around.

"This is the first time we have mares and colts during a program," said Exharos. "A number of people had a great opportunity to get a mother/colt pair."

The Gentrys were't looking to adopt this time.

"We're looking for a stud," said Melody Gentry. "They didn't have any for this program."

Loren and Alicia Trader and their daughters, Sheryl and Ashley, all of Franklin, Ill., were helping with the horse auction.

"We started adopting the wild animals two years ago," said Loren Trader. "We have a total of 11 animals now, eight mustangs and three burros."

Some ambassadors of the adoption program also made an appearance at the auction. "Elvis" and "Artie" roamed the grounds at Flickerwood.

Elvis is a strawberry roan mustang who was born in the wild and captured in February 1996. He learned quickly and was selected to accompany federal officials on their auction rounds.

"Elvis has appeared at schools, on television programs, and in newspapers to show how the wild mustangs can be tamed," said Exarhos. "He's truly an ambassador for the programs."

Artie, a brown mustang, was captured in Nevada, and gentled to also appear at adoptions programs.

The adoptions program started in 1973, when Congress passed an amendment to the Wild Horse Protection Act. The amendment provided for a means to handle excess populations of horses and burros.

Since then more than 173,000 animals have been adopted. The mustangs and burros up for adoption here came from 10 western states, primarily Nevada.

The adoptions aren't official until a year after the animals are taken from the auction. During that year, the owners cannot sell, or transfer the animals to another owner.

After one year, a certificate of title is presented to the owner, following an inspection of the animal. It's at that time the animal can be sold.

Most new owners spend considerable time breaking and training the animal.

"Some people are riding their new mustangs within a couple of weeks," said Exharhos. "But, typically, it takes from 30 to 90 days before the animals are completely ready."

The auction is free.