Meet the Freedom Family

Diamond Lil is Trigger’s last surprise gift to us. Our aging band stallion passed away in the fall of 2021, and in the spring of 2022, this bright little filly arrived—born to Mae West and forever carrying her father’s legacy forward. We are so grateful for Lil, a living reminder of the stallion we loved so much.

Now three years old and accustomed to people from her very first day, Diamond Lil is the most curious and friendly of the Freedom Family mares. Because of her gentle, engaging nature, she is currently working with trainer Bobby Ashley to become a mustang ambassador. Keep an eye out—you may see her at a future Born to Be Wild event!

Born in 1998 in the Pryors. Mae West is likely the daughter of Froggie—one of the most mysterious band stallions ever to roam the Pryor Mountains. Froggie and his mares lived deep in Cougar Canyon, and no one ever discovered where they found water. Ginger only saw him once before he vanished at a dead run.

Mae West’s mother is the statuesque Belle Star, full sister to Raven (Cloud’s father). Here in the Freedom Family herd, Mae West is the devoted mother of Josie. She inherited her mother’s unforgettable eyes—and has passed that striking beauty on to her elegant offspring.

Five-year-old Calamity Jane (CJ) was a surprise addition to our Freedom Family! Born in late August 2020 to two senior parents—Trigger and Mae West, both in their twenties—her arrival stunned us all. Repeated doses of PZP were believed to have left Mae West sterile, but Calamity Jane proved otherwise!

Unexpected though she was, we welcomed her with open hearts. Spirited and full of life, Calamity Jane seems to relish her “wildish” days here in Colorado, exploring the world alongside her family.

Having been raised with frequent human visitors, CJ is very friendly and is now undergoing training with trainer Bobby Ashley. Perhaps she will become a mustang ambassador for the Pryor herd!

Born in 1997, Trigger was the son of Flicka and the only known offspring of the late grullo stallion Challenger.

Ginger Kathrens was hired by the BBC to document Trigger for the program Spirit of the Mustang when he was just a few days old. With his distinctive hourglass blaze and tall stockings, he was photogenic and unmistakable on the range. As a two-year-old, he found himself in an unusual two-stallion band led by the sabino stallion Crazy Horse and the stylish bay Star. In an unexpected twist, these seasoned stallions allowed young Trigger to breed mares within the band—giving him early and rare “training” for a bachelor of his age!

Crazy Horse and Star ranged widely, watering at the spring-fed pool atop isolated Tony Island in the Custer National Forest. Perhaps this early experience influenced Trigger’s lifelong preference for National Forest lands as an adult stallion.

Trigger left no identified offspring on the range, but we are grateful to have his daughters here in our care. He passed away in 2021—and to our surprise, his final gift to the Freedom Family herd arrived shortly after, in the form of the beautiful filly Diamond Lil.

Born 1999. Moshi is the grulla daughter of Quelle Couleur who lived in Grijala’s band in the Pryors. Moshi’s father is likely Lakota, a favorite of many of us. The 20 year-old grullo stallion was put down by the BLM in July, 2012 as a result of injuries sustained in fighting, likely while trying to win back his band from Grijala.

Moshi died in late 2024, surrounded by her Pryor bandmates. Her wild nature was preserved to the end.

Born 2002. Chalupa is the daughter of Moshi and Santa Fe. Chalupa, a beautiful red bay, was with Bo’s band when she was captured. Chalupa and Bo produced two sons in our care. Diablo (Patriot) lives with supporters and friends of ours in Texas. Her son, BJ (Bo Junior), lives on my ranch in Colorado. Chalupa is also the mother of Winter. Chalupa’s mother, Moshi, was with Santa Fe in 2001 but the band was shattered during the 2001 helicopter roundup and Chalupa was born into Pierre’s band. When I look at Chalupa’s beautiful face, I see the image of her father.

This beautiful blue roan mare was born in 1993.

Ginger recalls, “When I first saw Mystery, she was a yearling, and I asked Revered Schweiger why she was named that and who her parents were. At that time, he said that her identity was a Mystery and that is what he called her. Mystery is the wildest of our horses and rejects any contact with us humans. I admire her tremendously. Sadly, she has no offspring on the wild horse range or in our care.”

Mystery died in 2025 on her own terms at the age of 32. Her presence is greatly missed.

A special thanks to Christi F. for being Mystery’s longtime sponsor. 💞

Born 1996. Dark bay daughter of the sorrel mare with the flaxen mane and tail, Madonna, and probably the stallion, Looking Glass. Evita has such a sweet disposition, soft expression, and beautiful conformation, much like her stylish mother.. Evita also has Madonna’s nurturing qualities. We regret she did not leave any offspring on the range.

Born 2011. Lily is the dun daughter of Shane and Moshi and is almost a dead-ringer for her father. How Lily lost the very tip of her left ear remains a mystery but gives her a distinctive air. She has the sweet disposition of her half-sister, Chalupa. Since an incident with a porcupine necessitated a couple visits to the vet, she is fairly fearless with visitors.

Born 1996. Daughter of the lilac roan mare, Princess. Sierra was born into the band led by the small, dark grullo stallion, Konik. Because of her chestnut color, it is unlikely he was her father. The band was being dogged by a red roan stallion, known as “the Rev”. He might be her father. However, she also resembles Flash, the sorrel stallion with a blaze face who lived to be 27 years old. That’s an amazing age for a Pryor stallion!

Sierra’s only living offspring was Fortunatus, who died in the harsh winter of 2010-2011, probably as a result of the newly erected fence that prevented him from returning to his traditional wintering grounds in the Custer National Forest.

Sierra did not produce a foal while in our care.

Cavalita was born in 1999, the leggy daughter of the deceased black mare, Pocotello, and the black stallion, Pierre.
After the death of both Conquistador and then, Shane, Cavalita joined Trigger’s band until Trigger died in 2021. She always maintained a level of independence that was intriguing to observe.

Cavalita and Conquistador left two sons on the horse range, Grijala (now deceased) and Hernando. Both band stallions on the Pryors, robust and taller than the average Pryor mustang. This characteristic no doubt helped them in winning mares. Hernando was band stallion to Cloud’s mother Phoenix in her later years - up until her death in 2022. In 2025, he had mares, Rosarita, and (for a time, the younger mare, Vintage.

Cavalita died in January of 2023. Over a two-week period, she kept going down - obviously in pain - and found it more and more difficult to get up - until she no longer could.

Always wild, a visit to her from the vet raised the possibility that she may have something wrong with her spine (an educated guess made in the field and confirmed after her death). At age 24, we had to say goodbye to Cavalita.

Born 2011. Daughter of Trigger and Mae West. Josie was stolen from Trigger by Conquistador just weeks before he died. She and Cavalita were fond of each other, and Moshi was fond of this colorful filly as well.

Josie has become an outstanding mare. Fourteen years old in 2025, she is the great niece of Raven, Cloud’s father, and has her mother’s large and expressive eyes. She is quite the beauty!

Winter was born on the first day of winter, 2017. She is the daughter of Trigger and Chalupa. Although born in subzero temperatures, she not only survived but thrived with the loving attention of her family.

Today, this 8-year-old mare is a beauty and, like her friend Lily, is fairly inquisitive about visitors - enjoying a scratch every now and again.

Born in 2012 on the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, Malayna is the daughter of the mare Kestrel. Sadly, within just a few months of her birth, she and her mother were rounded up and removed from the range. The pair were adopted together and spent many years in a wonderful home with a close friend of TCF.

In 2024, when the leased property where they lived was sold and no new horse-friendly housing was available, Kestrel and Malayna came to join the Freedom Family herd.

Malayna quickly befriended the other Pryor mares. Now 13 years old, she is gentle, personable, and loves greeting visitors—especially if a good neck scratch is involved. Like her herd sisters, she also loves a good roll in the mud!

Born in 2010 in the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, Kestrel (Pryors/BLM name, “Kaelia”) was a Dryhead horse. She and her new daughter, Malayna (BLM, “Meadow”), were rounded up and removed from their home in Aug. 2012.

Kestrel and her filly, Malayna, were adopted together and spent many years in a wonderful home with a close friend of TCF.

In 2024, when the leased property where they lived was sold and no new horse-friendly housing was available, Kestrel and Malayna came to join the Freedom Family herd.

Kestrel is the daughter of Halo of the Sun, a lovely bay mare who still lives on the mountain with Oglala’s band.