Elvis the charismatic wild stallion was healthy and happy and beautiful when I saw him two weeks ago, on the morning of June 22, 2024 in Conant Creek Wyoming, where he was born, and where he lived his entire life.
It was a gorgeous day. Across the expanse of the high desert, the sun kissed the range, and it was bursting with colors of sage and blooming pink cactus.
This was my third summer traveling to Wyoming to see the wild horses. The North Lander Complex, which includes the wild horse area of Conant Creek, is the stomping grounds for Jim Brown. A man who grew up with the wild horses, knew their stories, and named some of them. I never asked Jim why he only named a handful of the horses, but I believed that if a wild horse was named by Jim, there had to be a good reason for it.
My first trip to this area was in June 2022. I arrived late in Casper Wyoming, setting my alarm clock for 3 am to meet Jim for the first time. Jim's emailed directions were probably excellent, but he was sending me to the middle of nowhere, and there was a high probability that I would get lost. Which I did.
After three hours of driving through darkness and hoping the next dirt road was the right dirt road, I finally spotted Jim standing next to his truck. He was surprised to see me, because apparently I was on a road that no one ever used, from an opposite direction that was never part of Jim's detailed email.
In April 2022, photographer/advocate Jim Brown gave an impassioned speech at the ‘Save Our Wild Horses’ conference in Washington DC. The wild horses of Wyoming's North Lander area were being targeted for removal by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Jim needed help to save them. Traveling from his small town roots in Riverton Wyoming, to Washington DC, Jim's emotional plea for the wild horses left the conference guests in tears.
I needed to meet Jim, and I needed to see the beloved wild horses of Wyoming's high desert. They are wild horses owned by no one, yet due to their existence on public lands, they are also owned by everyone. Every man, woman and child in America. I was thrilled to successfully (and accidentally) find Jim at sunrise, in the middle of nowhere, his dog Waylon in the back of his pickup truck, tail wagging excitedly in anticipation of adventure.
With my jar of peanut butter, loaf of bread, and camera gear, I jumped into Jim's truck and we traveled together. The dirt road cut through lush grasses with stunning views for miles. The road curved around a hill, and Jim quietly whispered, 'There they are'.
Elvis galloping to the waterhole
It was a peaceful, slow motion paradise. Wild mustang families were gathered around a waterhole, greeting the sunrise with meadowlarks and song sparrows. Leggy foals chased each other while mares touched noses, the wild horse version of morning coffee and chatter. Stallions strutted their stuff, proud of their foals, proud of their mares, prancing about to share their presence in the golden light.
Jim was proud, too, to show off the mustangs that he knew so well. I was deeply honored to hear their stories.
And that's when I first saw Elvis.
Elvis at dawn with his family
He was hidden from view when we arrived. But eventually, he appeared. A glorious dapple grey with a mane and tail that changed from hues of gold under the rising sun. His neck was thick and powerful, his body muscled, his gentle eyes peering out from behind a mess of untamed forelock.
Elvis was one hundred percent wild. He was born nestled in the sage and the grasses of the high desert. Mother nature developed his strength, personality, strong genes and leadership, to secure the next generation, and the generation after that.
Elvis was one of Jim's favorites. He was a ladies' man with the vibe of a rock star, and he was a loving father to his foals. For a wild stallion, Elvis had the one-two-three punch.
He was also one of the most beautiful wild horses I'd ever seen. In my mind, Elvis was not only an ambassador for the wild horses of Conant Creek, he was an ambassador for all wild horses. Joining the ranks of Picasso of Sand Wash Basin, Old Man of Onaqui, Thor of McCullough Peaks, and other iconic mustangs that have held space for the wild horses and wildlife of public lands.
Elvis the Rock Star
The BLM's threats of a North Lander Complex roundup, including Conant Creek, were getting more severe. In June 2023, I returned to Conant Creek and joined Jim to drive the dirt roads once again. This time, Jim's stories and fears about the wild horses' future took on a heightened sense of urgency. And while my heart filled with joy to see Elvis and his family again, darkness and uncertainty loomed. While the BLM had not confirmed a pending roundup, foreshadowing appeared while Jim and I watched the horses graze peacefully. A yellow plane flew overhead. Jim explained that they were riflemen with the Department of Agriculture, looking for predators to shoot on sight in deference to public lands ranchers.
After Jim headed home to Casper, I ventured alone with my peanut butter through Conant Creek and other areas of the North Lander Complex. On one particular day, I drove from dawn to dusk without seeing one wild horse. But there were hundreds, if not thousands, of privately owned cattle.
On Dec 8th 2023, the BLM casually released their wild horse and burro roundup schedule. Duties for BLM cowboys included the chasing, trapping, and permanent removal of over 2700 wild mustangs from Wyoming's North Lander Complex beginning July 1st, 2024. Jim Brown spent the next six months writing letters, making phone calls, engaging social media followers, appearing on webinars, working with advocate groups. He did everything humanly possible to stop the roundups. And despite the dedicated team behind Jim , it wasn't enough.
Jim Brown and his dog Waylon
I traveled to Conant Creek two weeks ago with my husband Rob. It was 10 days before the start of the BLM roundup. Jim helped us find the horses and I was glad to see him, but I was lost for words. I wanted to apologize. Collectively, we had failed the wild horses of Conant Creek. But we had also failed Jim Brown. Behind a warm smile was a man with a broken heart.
Jim drove away, leaving a trail of dust that we could see for miles. Having yet to see Elvis, Rob and I waited quietly in our truck. Elvis finally came into view. He was healthy and happy and beautiful, and June 22nd was a gorgeous day. Surrounded by his family, and joined by other wild horse families, Elvis' mane was kissed by the sun and sporting two long braids, fashioned by the winds of Wyoming.
This is how I will always remember Elvis.
My final photo of Elvis. Following a BLM helicopter chase, Elvis was trapped and removed from Conant Creek around 10am July 3rd, 2024. He will never see his family, or freedom, again.
Last week, the BLM removed Elvis, his family and every single wild horse from Conant Creek Wyoming.
There are two things we can do for Elvis, all the wild horses on public lands in the west, for Jim Brown, and for everyone who fights to keep them running free.
1. Help to spread the awareness well beyond western states. Spread awareness to Americans across the country. Each American citizen- from California to Maine- has birthright ownership of public lands and the wild horses that live on public lands in the American west.
2. Call your congressional Representative and both of your senators at 202-224-3121, or call their local offices. No matter where you live. Tell them you oppose the inhumane BLM wild horse roundups. Ask them to #haltthehelicopters until there is humane reform in the BLM's management of wild horses.
Thank you.
#ButImJustOnePersonSaid300MillionPeople
Elvis was the inspiration behind the campaign titled #ButImJustOnePersonSaid300MillionPeople
We all have a voice. Let’s use it to ensure that wild horses run free on public lands for generations to come.