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Created 8-Jan-21
8 photos

It was about time to go, it was getting dark with heavy drizzly starting again as i sat below a juniper tree and we still had miles to get back to camp. So my friend and her two goats had gone up ahead, and I decided to stay a little longer with the Cherokee band going by.
A little Mt Bluebird flock settled around on top of nearby brush and on large lava rocks here and there, and between watching the band and trying to get the bluebirds, it was a moment in time I had to stay for. And I sure am glad I did. The pinto filly joyfully ran and bucked, essentially putting on a little wild dance on that prairie as I marveled... just hoping the photos would turn out.

I was interested in observing the two stallions of the band- Cherokee and Cowboy's interactions, when Faith's filly I watched bunch up and knew there was a treat in store. She started bouncing around, rearing and bucking for joy in the rain, twisting and turning like a rodeo bronc, the little wild spirit taken over by boundless happiness.
Her name: Hopi is a play-on-words to tie her to both mother Faith ("Hope"), and to her natal band Cherokee. I really like the name Hope, so took it a step farther and reading through your comments from two of the photos shared previous to this one... Hope, Joy, and Hopi came up quite a bit. I liked the connection to her natal band too, which was Native American tribe themed.
As an added thought, for those wondering- a dozen of us wild horse photographers work together to photo-document the South Steens range in SE Oregon and we track them through names, often we work together, but since I was the first photographer to document her, I have naming dibs... and got your guys's ideas too. The rangenames tie them to their early beginnings as we document the SS wild horse journeys, to better understand the mustangs and their intricate and complex society.

About the photo: Like the images shared of her before... I was was under a juniper tree out of the rain, when the Cherokee band filly... feeling her wild oats.... sprung to action like a little bronc- bucking, twisting, rearing and just feel-good playing. I have many of Hopi playing, but this was her perfect and most graceful rear of the series.
Grateful to all of you who participated with rangename ideas and comments- Love many many names and so many fit but only could pick one- but will be adding your name ideas to my database for future South Steens mustangs - THANK YOU!

Here's to HOPI!

September 2019 Cherokee/Cowboy Band
SE Oregon/sSTeens HMA

For the journal (in progress) and album for this trip: https://www.facebook.com/pg/mustangmeg1/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10157375825293956

*For fine art, or large ready-to-hand canvas or metal prints- jet me a message.
*Images are shared at a low resolution. To inquire about one of these photos at full resolution, please contact me. You can also visit my MustangWild website www.mustangwild.com

Thank you for helping me roam wild on the ranges, and helping me to work on keeping the "wild" in our west... and our west WILD! ~ Mustang Meg

MustangWILD
PO Box 785
Lebanon, OR 97355

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Categories & Keywords
Category:Animals
Subcategory:Horses
Subcategory Detail:
Keywords:American, Hopi, Mustang Meg, Oregon, SE, black, buck, dance, east, filly, horse, horses, mare, mustang, pinto, play, rear, south, white, wild