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Local girl dedicates mustang finals to breast cancer awareness
 Kirstin Koehler shares a special moment with Tuff-E-Nuff.
Wilson County News
October 20, 2009
7 comments
‘It ain’t about how fast
I get there, ain’t about
what’s waitin’ on the other side, it’s the climb.’
-- excerpt from “The Climb”
by Miley Cyrus
For those battling breast cancer, these words could sum up their efforts to confront the disease. As people wear pink ribbons to promote October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, one local girl not only named her horse after a campaign for breast cancer, she dedicated her final performance to her grandmother, who passed away from the disease in 2005.
This is the second consecutive year Kirstin Koehler of Stockdale has participated in the Extreme Mustang Makeover. She is the 15-year-old daughter of Priscilla and Lt. Col. Steve Koehler, and is a sophomore at Stockdale High School.
Readers of the Wilson County News might recall when Kirstin was one of two local girls to enter in the Mustang Heritage Foundation’s Extreme Mustang Makeover Mission: 007 Yearling Edition competition last year. After training her three entries, she gave the mustangs up for adoption, and adopted another mustang, named Taz. Kirstin continued to promote the mustangs by riding Taz in parades while representing the Stockdale Watermelon Jubilee as its 2008-09 rodeo queen.
Before her reign was over, Kirstin heard the news she was waiting for during the Bluebonnet Fest in La Vernia in May. She was accepted for a second year as a youth trainer for the 2009 Extreme Mustang Makeover Mission: 008 Yearling Edition.
This year was different, since only 25 youth trainers were selected. Selection of the youth trainers was based on experience working with mustangs, letters of recommendation, and the housing facility available for the horse.
The 2009 journey began when Kirstin picked up her yearling June 13 from the Bureau of Land Management facility in Pauls Valley, Okla. She named the black gelding Tuff-E-Nuff. The name is a spinoff of Western Industries’ “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” campaign for breast cancer awareness, Kirstin’s mother said.
For the next 100 days, Kirstin trained Tuff-E-Nuff in basic ground maneuvers, leading at a walk and trot, backing, turning, loading in a trailer, picking up hooves, bathing, pivoting, and lunging.
In the finals, held during the Extreme Western and Eastern Stampede in Fort Worth Sept. 18-20, the duo placed sixth, winning $300.
For her performance in the finals, Kirstin used the song, “The Climb,” by Miley Cyrus, as background music. The song sums up her feelings about mustangs -- that you have faith in their ability to be trained, and to be good horses. It reflects her understanding of what it takes to fight cancer, as her grandmother did.
Kirstin won a $100 gift certificate to the Smith Brothers Western Store for placing third in the stall-decoration contest. One final honor bestowed on Kirstin, given in recognition of her dedication to the mustang breed, was a basket of Jelly Belly Jelly Beans from National Finals Rodeo Champion Michael Jones and Jelly Belly Candy Co. This was awarded to the most dedicated youth trainer.
As Kirstin gave up Tuff-E-Nuff for adoption, she did not leave Fort Worth alone. She adopted two new additions to the herd, Fist Full of Dynamite and Kryptonite. Both mustangs were trained in Las Vegas, Nev.
Fist Full of Dynamite, trained by Joe Weitekamp, placed 10th overall in the Idols division. Kryptonite, trained by Matt Replogle, placed 11th in the Legends -- or more advanced -- division.
“With every single trainer who trained a mustang, it’s not about the placing or the prize money,” Kirstin’s mother said. “They are there for this magnificent animal to show the world that they are a highly intelligent horse, easy to train, very beautiful, and versatile.”
The mustang “represents the fight of breast cancer and how hard it can be and to never give up on hope and to ‘keep on movin,’ keep climbin,’ keep the faith,’” Priscilla said. |
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| Your Opinions and Comments |
Priscilla Koehler
Yesterday at 2:49pm
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Lauren Vincent
Sulphur, LA
October 22, 2009 9:48am
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S Pruski
Stockdale
October 20, 2009 7:17pm
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Ashley Koehler
Floresville
October 20, 2009 5:33pm
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Weslie Elliott
October 20, 2009 3:56pm
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Amazed
Wilson County
October 20, 2009 12:41pm
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Dr. T
Texas
October 20, 2009 11:34am
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