Madeleine Pickens created the Mustang Monument Eco-Resort and Preserve in Nevada to provide a safe habitat for over 600 wild mustangs. The resort offers luxury accommodations like tepees and cottages for visitors to experience the landscape and observe the free-roaming mustangs. Local ranchers disagree with Pickens' efforts as mustangs compete with cattle for grassland. Pickens is determined to sustainably support the mustangs through tourism and create awareness of preserving the historic horses of the American plains.

1. EMILY HERBERT takes to the saddle to see mustangs run wild
and free in peace and safety on the epic plains of Nevada, thanks to
one gutsy woman’s vision
FOOD&TRAVELE A T · D R I N K · E S C A P E
Horse Heaven
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April 2015|COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 129

2. E
vening is creeping onto the plains
of Nevada as we ride out, the distant
mountain ranges blushing rose in the
dusky light. We follow the straight back
of Clay Nannini, more comfortable on
a horse then his own two feet, his black
cowboy hat a familiar outline. Our ponies shiver with
excitement, eyes trained on the dust cloud billowing in
front of us, nostrils flaring. All of a sudden, Clay lets out
a whoop and spurs his horse on, our ponies leaping to
follow. Through the dust I can make out flashes of grey
and dun, the herd ahead of us streaming and ducking
like a multi-coloured shoal of fish. It’s not everyday you
gallop after 400 wild mustangs on the move, and it is a
moment of pure, unadulterated magic.
I’m riding on the plains of Mustang Monument
Eco-Resort and Preserve, covering 900 square miles
in northeast Nevada. Six-hundred mustangs have
been awarded freedom and a lifeline here, saved from
the slaughterhouse and spending their days existing
under an all-American, duck-egg blue sky. And they
have Madeleine Pickens, philanthropist, entrepreneur
and activist, to thank.
Petite, with a swathe of immaculate platinum hair,
67-year-old Pickens epitomises ranch glamour in her
fringed suede capes and cowboy boots. Her accent, a
hybrid between a soft Texan burr and a discernible
British clip, belies her origins.
Born in Cairo of a British father and Lebanese
mother, Pickens grew up a lover of the American
West ideal, devouring western novels throughout her
childhood in France and England. Working first as
a stewardess for Pan Am she then launched her own
company, supplying air hosts for private planes. While
married to Allen Paulson, the founder and owner of
Gulfstream Aerospace,
she bred champion
racehorses. Later, her
attention shifted to the
preservation of wild
horses with her then third
husband, oil tycoon T.
Boone Pickens. Together
they led the fight to close
the last slaughterhouse
in the US and, in 2008,
purchased land in Nevada
with the goal of providing
a safe life for as many
mustangs as possible.
The road to the
Monument has not been
easy. Local ranchers,
whose livelihood depends
on grass for their cattle,
hold a deeply rooted
dislike for the roaming
mustang. The population of mustang has
dropped from two million a hundred
years ago to 40,000 currently, a number
that the cattle ranchers and the Bureau
of Land Management (BLM) would like
to see decrease further. In 2008, the BLM
announced government plans to cull
30,000 of wild mustangs, a report that
spurred Madeleine into action.
‘I have the resources here to keep the
mustang sustainably, at a fraction of the
cost that they are currently draining from
the tax payer,’ Madeleine says fiercely.
Learning the ropes: a lassoo lesson
The tepees are large and luxurious
These mustangs are free to live the life
they are meant to – wild and unfettered
130 |COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | April 2015

3. animosity towards the mustang, as they
don’t have a real use.’ He looks just as
cowboys should, with a lopsided grin
and a dry humor, articulate under his
Stetson. ‘There is evidence of prehistoric
horse remains not far from here in
Wells,’ he continues. ‘So we’ve had
horses here for as long as man. I’d hate
to see that history go by the wayside.’
Upon reaching the summit our
horses are hobbled and we settle down
to the superb picnic Madeleine has
ferried up in a camouflage-painted
4x4. She is surprisingly candid. ‘Out
here, it’s like when you’re sitting on an
airplane next to somebody,’ she says.
‘You end up telling complete strangers
all your secrets. I feel empowered
here, doing what I’m doing. I want to
see this project through. If you don’t
give something back, well, shame on
you, really. You can’t always keep on
taking. And I have all this,’ to which she
sweeps a slim hand, silver cuff glinting,
a casual wave at the enormity that
spreads below. ‘I want to share it.’
After scattering for baths we
reconvene in the saloon for cocktails,
roping lessons, and an all American
feast. After dinner entertainment comes in the form of two Native
American lads in full beaded regalia, demonstrating their song
and dance before a crackling fire. The eerie notes of the Native
American flute, hanging on the cold still air, induces a momentary
timeless feeling.
In early morning light, we join Clay for the daily mustang feed run
on the back of a creaking timber trailer pulled by two draught horses.
Taking the reins while Clay loads the trailer, I am allowed to drive the
horses that trot at a click of the tongue towards the herd. We make a
wide circle slowly, pushing hay overboard and watching the horses as
they squeal and whinny, shaggy coated in front of the mountains.
The space that Madeleine has wrought out here, wrangled from the
steel blue sky drum and the breath of the mountains, holds a piece of
magic that we all crave. The mustangs, free to roam and run, are safe to
live this seamlessly and we, tiny in what people call God’s country, are
permitted to drink it in and take a little piece of it home to savour. n
‘Here I grow all my own hay and grass. I have 19 springs and 28 wells,
plus a natural spring that provides 3,300 gallons a minute, so water isn’t
an issue. Now we just need people to visit.’
Purchasing the mustangs and the land to accommodate them was
only the start of her vision. Madeleine’s dream of a resort, bound in
luxury, heritage and history, would give the mustang a sustainable
future and afford awareness and tourism to the plains of Nevada.
‘Tourism is the ultimate goal for us to continue our fight,’ Madeleine
explains over cocktails in the speakeasy-style saloon. ‘People want a
pretty picture and we’ve got plenty of that to show them.’
And what a place to visit. Bright, hand-painted tepees
and discreet wooden safari cottages are licks of colour in
the sweeping vista. They are sumptuously decorated and
surprisingly spacious; a king-size bed holds court, wooed
by patterned rugs, antique furniture and giant candles
that exude ranch luxury. It seems deeply romantic,
where luxe meets idealism, history nods at culture and
philanthropy greets creature comforts with coffee and a
wink in the morning.
Saddling up for our first ride under the blue wash of
sky, I am handed the reins of Montana, doe-eyed and
chunky of rump, his sturdy station hand disposition
heralding him the most perfect steed. And why is he
called Montana? ‘Well, that sure is where he hails from,’
the tobacco chewing ranch hand says. But of course.
Sitting atop the western saddle, deep and spacious as
an armchair, I marvel at Montana’s skill as he picks his
way through the rocky terrain of Spruce Mountain. As
we climb higher I am again struck by the sparseness of
the landscape and the harsh reality that would have met
the pioneers who first eked out an existence here.
Head cowboy Clay tells us how he compromises
between the ranchers and Madeleine’s vision. A realtor
with several real estate offices who aided Madeleine
with her land purchase, the cowboy strikes a fine
balance between his own blood and his job. ‘I like
Madeleine,’ Clay drawls. ‘The way to describe her
is ready, fire, aim. She jumps in feet first and is real
tough. Coming from around here, there’s a lot of
Hand-painted tepees
luxuriously kitted out
All-American food is
served with heart
BOOKIT
Steppes Travel offers
a five-night stay at
Mustang Monument
Wild Horse Eco Resort
from £2,995 per person,
based on two people
sharing a tipi. Price
includes accommodation
on a full board basis
including most activities
and excursions, car
hire, and international
economy flights.
0843 7789926;
steppestravel.com
April 2015|COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 131
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