Steve Benn
Growing up on the 17th floor of a high rise apartment house in Brooklyn, New York would hardly predict a late-in-life passion for horses and the Kigers in particular. As a long time physician/scientist in both pediatrics and molecular biology my horses have become not only my “therapy” from my professional world but a way to shoe-horn myself into the ranching community where I live in Rapid City, South Dakota. One might say I came up through the ranks by the predictably naïve and unsophisticated route; first, cutting my equine teeth on a young Arabian and ultimately finding myself in the quarter horse world. As my cow skills improved so too did my horsemanship and the two fed off one another until such time that I decided that I wanted an alternative to the usual quarter horse “standard fare,” you know the type – the horses that have had their feet bred out of them; those very horses that typically play themselves out by midmorning here in the rugged Black Hills and Bad Lands of South Dakota
Where did it begin? At first it was a casual interest, then a visit to a website – wow – could this be possible? Stamina, solid feet and natural cow-horse abilities all wrapped up in a magnificent package called a Kiger mustang. Fate would prove to have been looking over my shoulder for the October, 2003 BLM Kiger on-line became an obsession. I had to have one and so on the morning of the auction my office was transformed into computer-geeks paradise as my buddies and I competed and ultimately won (with three seconds left to bid I am told) my second choice. A rangy, skin and bones yearling grulla stud colt. On December 4th of that year, through intermittent snow and brutally cold weather, I traversed the state of Nebraska where I finally arrived at the Elm Creek Wild Horse and Burro Center, drop-off point in Kearney, Nebraska. Out to the holding pens and there I saw my prize in the flesh – hardly a picture of those magnificent beasts in the photos. After a rapid-fire sequence of thoughts I decided to ante up and Brumby came home with me.
To make a very long story short, Bromby has grown and matured into a handsome guy who never ceases to catch the eye of those at gatherings, brandings and horse expositions. Like a proud papa I recount the story of the Kigers and get goose bumps every time. Initially, I was the butt of jokes at those gatherings and brandings for who in their right mind would own, much, less seek out, a mustang. Needless to say by the end of the day the story and comments are very different – “where c’ in I find myself one of dem d’ere hosses?”
So guys, am I in love with just a horse? No, I am enamored with the Kigers and all the beauty, performance and yes, the history and romanticism they represent. It is, therefore, for all these reasons and more that I have accepted the invitation of DeWayne and Betty to become an active participant, a Regional Director for the central states, in the newly organized Kiger Horse Association and Registry – after all, if we do not take the initiative to step forward and commit ourselves to preserve and protect these magnificent horses, they will surely become nothing more than a running shadow destined to be nothing more than an historical footnote.
