Maintaining and building reservoirs for the mustangs, wildlife and stock that roam the McCullough Peaks remain a fundamental goal of Friends of a Legacy, the grassroots, nonprofit group founded to protect and preserve the wild horse herd.

To raise funds for that work and other projects, FOAL is hosting its annual Mustang Rendezvous on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 5- 8 p.m. at the Cody Holiday Inn. The event features live music, buffet dinner, cash bar, and silent and live auctions.

During the evening, and new this year, artist Jessica Reesy of Cody will be painting a portrait of a McCullough mustang, which will be sold during the live auction. She operates Shark’s Peak Sip and Paint.

Tickets — $50 for adults, $25 children 6-12 — are available at friendsofalegacy.org and the Cody Chamber of Commerce.

“Although the wet spring helped conditions in the Peaks, the subsequent high temperatures and lack of rain could have imperiled the horses without our reservoir work to provide life-giving water,” said Mary Scuffham, chair of the FOAL board. 

To that end, FOAL launched a campaign called the “Living Waters Initiative” to raise funds for the maintenance and construction of reservoirs, she said. A committee of volunteers is surveying the 120,000 BLM acres that the mustangs roam to identify ideal locations for watering holes and to designate reservoirs for repair.

“FOAL also collaborates with the Bureau of Land Management to provide fertility control to the McCullough mares,” Scuffham added. “The program keeps the herd at a sustainable level to minimize the need for roundups that are costly and also disrupt the family units and social structure within the herd.”

The mustangs serve as an attraction for travelers, Scuffham noted. FOAL’s informational kiosk, constructed on its property 26 miles east of Cody in 2019, has attracted roughly 200 visitors per month over the summer.

“Those who opt to sign the guest book are a testament to the appeal of America’s symbol of freedom, the wild horse, as the visitors hail from not only the United States, but also Europe, Canada, Mexico, Switzerland, Netherlands and more,” she said. 

FOAL is grateful to the many local individuals and storeowners who have donated to the Mustang Rendezvous, Scuffham said. The live auction will feature a quarter beef and processing, sterling silver necklace of the Wyoming bucking horse, leather backpack and inflatable paddleboard, while the silent auction will include many works by local photographers and artists as well as various items donated by local businesses. 

“All proceeds will benefit your wild horses that roam the McCullough Peaks,” Scuffham said.