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2026 Potential Horses

Meet the horses who may be part of the 2026 Dakota Showdown!

Unless adopted before March 1, the following horses are ready and waiting for trainers to help them become adoptable horses. Keep an eye on this page as we will be adding more before April! Want to help? Apply to compete now!

2026 Potential Horses

Showcase Division

For trainers ready to take on the challenge of starting a horse under saddle. These horses already have a solid foundation in groundwork and are ready for their next step. 

dove

Dove

Dove is an approximate 15-hand, 4-year-old Quarter Horse mare. Sweet and easy to be around, but can be hard to catch.

onyx

Onyx

Onyx is a 14 hand, 4-yr-old BLM mustang gelding who participated in the Foundation Division of the Dakota Showdown in 2025.

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Twister

Twister is a 14.3 hand, 4-yr-old BLM mustang gelding who won the 2025 Foundation Division. He's started under saddle and ready to continue his training.

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Astrid

Astrid is an approximately 14.2 hand Quarter Horse mare about 12-14 years old. Likely broke to ride, but bad for picking up her hind feet.

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Lucy

Lucy is an approximately 15 hand, 14-yr-old Quarter Horse mare. She is a previous Showdown participant and has been backed but not started under saddle.

vincent

Vincent

Vincent is a 9-yr-old, approximately 14.2 hand gelding who lost the tips of his ears to frostbite. He's friendly but has never been started under saddle.

dice

Dice

Dice is a 13-yr-old gelding who won the Foundation Division in 2024. He's returned from an adoption and is ready to work under saddle. Can be tough to catch.

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Whitney

Pending medical release: Whitney is a smart 4-yr-old QH mare, about 14 hands, who has the basics down. She's undergoing treatment for an aggressive sarcoid but if all goes well is ready to be started under saddle.

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Chester

Pending medical release: Chester is a 14.3 hand, 10-yr-old QH gelding who is recovering from selenium toxicity. Easy to handle, his saddle training is unknown.

Meet the Teams

Foundation Division

Trainers work with BLM Mustangs or unhandled rescues, focusing on socialization, groundwork, and handling skills to prepare them for adoption.

bristol

Bristol

Unhandled pinto mare with stunning blue eyes.

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Sutton

Unhandled pinto mare

kelvin

Kelvin

4-yr-old BLM mustang gelding with minimal handling

Meet the Potential Horses

Rising Star Division

The Rising Star Division is a non-competitive division designed for 1-2-year-old horses and trainers of all experience levels, including youth as young as 12 years old. This division focuses on socialization, basic groundwork, and confidence-building, giving young horses the skills they need to succeed in future training.