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Jean Albert Renaud:

Horse Whisperer in the flesh to wild mustangs

By Judi McLeod

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Indelible in the imagery of American heritage, the fiercely independent and fleet-footed mustang is second only to the eagle. While the eagle soars majestically overhead in blue skies, the mustang closes the distance of the range to gallop straight into the human heart.

Horse lovers everywhere thought the last chapter of the mustang was written in 1971 when Velma "Wild Horse Annie" Johnson won her colourful crusade to save America's wild horses.

But just like in the classic fairytale, true-life villains sometimes crop up before the happy ending. For the flying-mane mustang, the wicked villain took the form of politicians. Wild Horse Annie died of cancer at age 65 on June 27, 1977 never knowing that her hard-won protection of wild horses would be wiped off the books. It was in 2004 when a 35-year-old law protecting the mustang was signed away by the President George W. Bush administration.

Jean Albert RenaudThe end of Annie's protection was more ignominious than any Hollywood ending.

"Just days before the Thanksgiving holiday recess, when most of Washington was getting ready to leave for the long weekend, Senator (Conrad) Buns put the final touches on his rider No. 142, which removed all protections for wild horses (and burros) that were over the age of 10 or had been offered unsuccessfully for adoption three times." ( Vanity Fair). "Such animals could now be sold "without limitation, including through auction to the highest bidder, at local sale yards or other convenient livestock-selling facilities." Burns inserted his one-page rider into a 3,300-page budget-appropriations bill on the eve of the bill's congressional deadline, and there would be no opportunity for either public or legislative debate."

You don't have to possess the emotional imagination of a pony-loving child to envision the death of the mustang pressed into a one-page rider.

The thundering hooves of the noble mustang out on the range must have fallen silent on Thanksgiving weekend, 2004.

For the mustangs that have lost their protections because of the Burns rider, it was an anything goes scenario.

As it turns out, they just don't shoot horses, they sell them off for food.

On September 7, 2006 the House of Representatives voted 263 to 146 in favor of a bill sponsored by John Sweeney, a New York Republican, and Ed Whitfield, A Kentucky Republican, to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption. There are currently three horse slaughterhouses in the U.S., one in Illinois, and two in Texas. They sell horsemeat primarily to Europe and Japan, where it is regarded as a delicacy.

Besides being famous for the challenge they present to trainers, mustangs are known for their strength, endurance and sure-footedness.

Now that they serve as border guards, mustangs earn their hay feed. "Noble Mustang" is a new program that will patrol Montana's boundary with Canada using native horsepower.

The Bureau of Land Management's wild horse and burro program, which takes mustangs off public lands for sale to private owners, began cooperating with the Department of Corrections in 1986. These days prison inmates from Canon City, Col. take part in the mounted border patrol program.

The Border Patrol recently adopted eight wild horses to patrol that sector, which includes northwestern Montana.

During 2006, the rugged Spokane Sector established a horse patrol unit at each of its seven line stations, becoming the only northern border sector to utilize horses for patrols.

And in the true-life-is-stranger-than-fiction annals of the West, Wild Horse Annie's replacement was already testing his spurs.

It was time for Wild Horse Annie to ride again.

Enter stage left Jean Albert Renaud, JAR for short, the world-renowned horseman and activist.

Wildhorse Annie in cowboy chaps, JAR set his mind to a cowboy-sized dream: opening up the floodgates of public awareness to save America's wild horses.

The fate of America's heritage on hooves should never be the province of politicians as far as JAR, who spent the last 60 years of his life around horses, is concerned.

Robert Redford played the role of the Horse Whisperer in the movie. Jean Albert Renaud is the Horse Whisperer in the flesh, and he's not playing any role--he's living it!

Savvy, seasoned and earnest, JAR is kicking off his Saving America's Wild Horses Campaign with "The Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race, an 800-mile endurance race that will take place this September in New Mexico.

As tough as old boot leather and as wily as a cougar, JAR recognizes that average Americans care passionately about the fate of wild horses.

Using his contacts from his days as a composer, recording and performing artist, the master horseman, knows that singing stars like Willy Nelson recognize the mustang's rightful place in American heritage.

But JAR would take on the rescue even if he could only count the help of a bunch of saloon style rounders.

Just as the mustang is a relatively small and sturdy horse, JAR is a small and sturdy dude. Mustangs come in all colours, from black to brown to dun to cream, some reddish, some bluish, and in many these are mixed with whites and grays to produce roans, speckles, paints and other patterns. JAR is self-described as part Black, part Native American and part White. In his books, "just like a mustang".

JAR can relate to any wild horse being written off all because of having reached 10 years of age, or older. Although he's almost 65, fresh air and exercise, keep JAR looking about 40. The proud owner of a rustic horse ranch, called Sunshine Acres, north of Baltimore, he rides and trains horses six or seven hours a day with the potential of thousands of acres to do so.

Geography may separate his horse ranch from the United Arab Emirates by thousands of miles, but the royal family who heard about the legendary American horseman, came calling on JAR's services. In 1994, the royal family requested his training input and his participation in their internationally sponsored endurance competition.

This is not a race for greenhorns. This type of race was depicted in the movie Hidalgo and is still run today in the Middle East.

As a trainer and co-contestant in the race, JAR assisted Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, helping in her effort to raise money for her charity--"Children in Crisis".

But having written music for, or worked with, such well known artists as Demian Bell, Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, Johnny Neon, Lou Rawls, Teddy Pendergrass, Michael Jackson & the Jackson Five, among others, celebrity no longer awes the Horse Whisperer.

As impressed as he was with the Duchess, it would be a mustang called Duchess that would get most of his attention.

JAR took it in stride when he made history as the first horseman to finish the race on a Qatari Arabian.

Before Wild Horse Annie dumped one of the largest letter-writing campaigns in U.S. history on an unsuspecting Congress, unregulated commercial exploitation had brought the mustang numbers from two million in the early 1900s to fewer than 18,000 in 1971.

Not even Marilyn Monroe's role in the film, The Misfits, whose storyline told the tale of the increasing desperation of the down-and-out cowboys who trafficked in the few remaining wild horses, could jumpstart the mustang to the top of the Endangered Animal list.

Jean Albert Renaud's passion for horses inspired him to write the song, "I Ride Horses" in 1992. He is currently producing the song, "Horse" with Batelboy at Christian Renaud Studio.

Other than to establish a fund to assist Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation, it is JAR's dream to advance the horse as an avenue for orienting young people, especially the needy and disadvantaged, to a broader way of life beyond urban confines.

One of the main objectives of the Great Santa Fe horse race is "to educate the public not only on the historic Santa Fe Trail, but also to introduce the sport of endurance riding to thousands."

One of the more recent recruits JAR's been able to lasso into his dreams is James Whelan, known as "The Cowboy". Whelan is Advertising Sales Manager for Internet websites such as WorldNetDaily, News With Views and Canada Free Press.

When the going gets rough, cowboys hit the trail.

Open to all breeds, The Great Sante Fe trail Horse Race starts in Santa Fe, New Mexico on September 3, 2007 and ends some 800 miles later in Missouri, on September 15, 2007.

Even though he's out riding at Sunshine Acres, you can catch up with JAR at his homepage www.Iridehorses.com.

Meanwhile, when saving wild horses is the cause, call for the real life Horse Whisperer.

Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com


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