It was three days before Marc Chancey of Waynesboro could even touch the wild bay gelding he'd picked up June 14.

"He'd never been handled, and he was really afraid of people," said Chancey, who trains horses for a living. "He had a high sense of self-preservation."

Michelle Chancey / Special (ENLARGE)

Marc Chancey of Waynesboro sits on Trinity, the mustang he has trained as part of the Extreme Mustang Makeover competition.

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But three weeks later, Chancey was working cattle with the horse he named Trinity. He's hoping he'll be able to do even more come Sept. 18, when Chancey and two other Georgia cowboys head to Fort Worth, Texas for the Extreme Mustang Makeover, a contest featuring wild horses from the Western ranges.

The competition was the brainstorm of Patti Colbert, executive director of the Mustang Heritage Foundation, formed in 2002 to help find adoptive homes for wild mustangs that must be removed from government land.

"I watch a lot of reality TV, and I wanted something that could prove the value of these horses and show how quickly it could be done," Colbert said.

So last year the group invited 100 horse trainers to take a wild horse and work with it for 100 days. Then a competition was held in Texas to show off what the horses had learned. This year the competition was expanded to 200 trainers, who had to apply to get in. Three trainers from Georgia were chosen: Chancey, Eric Gray and Drew Olsen. They're holding a preliminary demonstration Sat., Aug. 16 in Cumming.

"I saw the competition last year and decided to try it this year," said Gray, 29, a farrier and horse trainer who is holding the demonstration at his Blackthorn Farms in Cumming. "I like a challenge from time to time, and this looked like a fun one."

Chancey picked up the three Georgia-bound horses June 14 from a holding area in Illinois. They were rounded up in Nevada in January.

Gray, who named his 3-year-old bay gelding Johnny Cash, said he's been very impressed with his horse.

"These are just fabulous animals," he said. "Once you earn their trust, they're very smart and responsive. Once he knew I was his friend and wouldn't hurt him, the training just took off."

Chancey, 36, said he also looked at the competition as a challenge, as well as a way to spotlight his horse training skills. A former rodeo rider, he worked with some mustangs as a teen, but he hadn't worked with one in years. Like Gray, he said once Trinity trusted him the training went quickly.

"Once we made a connection, he was unbelievable," Chancey said. "He's very, very gritty, very athletic, and as smart as any horse I've ever seen, and with more heart."

Drew Olsen, 24, a horse trainer from Villa Rica, said he entered because he wanted to see how he did with a mustang. The son of a horse trainer, Olsen grew up on horses. His 3-year-old sorrel gelding, Henry, came around quickly, he said.

"After I got my hands on him and he got over his initial fear, he quieted right up," Olsen said. "I've had more fun with him than any horse in a long time."

The event at Gray's farm Saturday includes demonstrations of how far the horses have come in 60 days, food, door prizes, horse rides and children's games. Chancey said he hopes a crowd comes out to get the horses used to being worked in front of an audience.

All three of the men are hoping to compete at the highest level of the competition come September. And on Sept. 21, the last day of the event, Gray and Chancey are hoping to buy back their horses at the auction held at the end of the event.

"If he goes for more than I can afford, he'll have to go live somewhere else," Chancey said. "But if I can afford him, he'll be coming home to Georgia."

The Cumming demonstration is noon-5 p.m. Sat., Aug. 16 at 6560 Mockingbird Road. Information: www.blackthornfarms.com or 770-238-2951.

For more information on the Texas event: www.extrememustangmakeover.com.

More pet news

• Hogs for Dogs Ride: It's time for the annual motorcycle ride to benefit the Gwinnett Humane Society. The ride is Sat., Aug. 16, getting under way from Stone Mountain Harley-Davidson at 2060 Ross Road, Lilburn. The $25 entry fee includes a T-shirt and raffle ticket. Passengers are $10 extra. Registration is 9-10 a.m.; ride at 10:30 a.m. with police escort. A $100 donation lands a premier spot up front with Grand Marshal Rhubarb Jones. Or just stop by the store for dog adoptions, a silent auction, vendors, food and music. Held rain or shine, the event ends at 2 p.m. Information: www.gwinnetthumane.com or 770-798-7711, Ext. 7.

• Low-cost vaccinations: Urban Pet supplies in College Park is hosting low-cost pet vaccines 2-4 p.m. Sat., Aug. 16. No reservation necessary. 3699 Main St. Information: www.urbanpetsupply.com or 404-766-1138.

• Dog wash: Southeastern Greyhound Adoption is holding a dog wash Sat., Aug. 16 at Kirkwood Feed and Seed, 1998 Hosea Williams Drive, Atlanta. The wash is 1-4 p.m., and it's $10 for one dog or $15 for two. Information: www.greyhoundadoption.org.

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