Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/67357
Two wild horses escape the pen in 2005. Often during a roundup, a "Judas" horse is trained to lead wild horses into a pen or corral. O n September 25, 1980, BLM's land and development director, George Lea, announced the creation of the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range. He dedicated a permanent plaque to the woman who championed the mustang cause and was central in passing laws to protect the wild horses—Velma Johnston, who became better known as Wild Horse Annie. "It is both fitting and delightful to dedicate to her an area where proper management of the wild horses and burros is the primary goal," Lea said at the time. The ceremony included a performance by the choral group from Grand Junction High School, singing "This Land is Your Land." The scene was typical of the changing West: The crowd was a mixture of cowboy hats, jeans, business suits, and the steady drone of a nearby drilling rig. Today the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range encompasses 36,113 acres of rugged canyons and plateaus where wild horses roam the sage-, rabbit- brush-, and pinyon-juniper-covered hills. It is a successful model of wild- horse management. Other herd areas in Colorado have not fared as well. When Wild Horse Annie was alive, her relationship with the BLM was not one of congenial cooperation. When Congress passed the Wild Free- Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, the BLM did not champion her cause; she had to take her battle to Congress and to the people, all the while has not lived up to the spirit or the letter of the 1971 law, which states: "Wild free-roaming horses and burros are the living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West.... It is the policy of Congress that they shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death...." The conflict between wild-horse activists and the BLM has risen to a fever pitch during President Obama's first term in office. Colorado's Spring Creek Herd Area in Disappointment Valley, near Norwood, has been the site of an ongoing battle. Embedded at the center of the dispute is docu- mentary filmmaker James Anaquad-Kleinert. It's not easy to track what's going on with the wild horses; they live in deso- late, rugged areas of the West. To get a deeper understanding of the issue, Anaquad-Kleinert has been filming the Spring Creek Herd since 2007. His journey has brought him up close and personal with both the wild horses and the BLM management. His short film, Saving the American Wild Horse, was released on the Documentary Channel in 2007 and is now a feature film, titled Wild Horses & Renegades. If you go to BLM events that are open to the public, it's easy to spot Anaquad-Kleinert: He's the guy holding a video camera like it's an extra appendage. Anaquad-Kleinert, 47, grew up in Wisconsin. He was the all- American boy, dreaming of becoming an athlete. He was a competitive Olympic-level skier who later dabbled in extreme sports. His athleticism ignoring death threats and packing a pistol. And advocates claim the BLM and daredevil spirit are good qualities for a documentary filmmaker. Like many people in the mustang wars, Anaquad-Kleinert came to the wild-horse issue more by circumstance than by conscious choice. He was aspenpeak-magazine.com 127