Serape to be new sideline attire?

[Bergermeister]

Wonder if JJ was modeling the new game day apparel as he strolled with Mrs. Pickens in the Ft. Worth Fat Stock Show Parade. Nice photo of the pair in Sunday's Star-Telegram. Couldn't tell if he was wearing socks. Doubt it.

[Special_Delivery_Smu_Fans]

Pickens' wife calling attention to plight of wild horses
Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010

FORT WORTH — Amid the hundreds of horses taking part in the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo’s All Western Parade, Madeleine Pickens was trying to draw attention to the plight of wild horses thousands of miles away.

The wife of Dallas billionaire Boone Pickens was accompanied by SMU football coach June Jones in Saturday’s parade as she walked alongside three mustangs that she adopted last year after they were captured in federal round-ups.

Her mustangs were just one of 212 entries in the parade through downtown Fort Worth that was blessed with relatively warm weather.

Madeleine Pickens, who is pushing for the creation of a million-acre sanctuary for wild horses in northern Nevada, has turned to local sports figures like the SMU football coach, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, former Cowboys stars Emmitt Smith and Roger Staubach, and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. All serve on Saving America’s Mustangs ( savingamericasmustangs.org), which Pickens founded.

"Instead of going to Washington as a little blond animal lover, now I’ve got America’s testosterone behind us," Pickens said. "People listen to football. Football matters in this country."

Pickens donated two mustangs to SMU as June Jones tried to set a tradition for the football team. The horses made their first appearance in October.

But June Jones, who serves as chairman of the advisory board, said his interest now extends far beyond starting a winning tradition for the football Mustangs.

"I don’t understand why this isn’t on the front page and in the forefront of everybody’s thoughts," Jones said. "I told her I could help bring some attention to her cause and get her some exposure for this effort she has been working on for the last 10 years."

Pickens’ plan to purchase a million acres for a mustang sanctuary has met resistance from the federal government and Nevada cattle raisers.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has proposed moving many of the mustangs to the Midwest and the East.

"The current path of the wild horse and burro program is not sustainable for the animals, the environment or the taxpayer," Salazar said in October.

The Bureau of Land Management maintains about 32,000 mustangs and burros, including 9,500 in short-term pens. The cost of holding wild horses was about $29 million last year, which was roughly 70 percent of the program’s entire budget.

Ron Cerri, president of the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association, wrote on the group’s Web site this month that his organization has been unfairly demonized by wild-horse advocates. He said mustang supporters want federal land used strictly for horse grazing.

"When our public lands are managed for one special interest, every other user of the public lands loses," Cerri wrote.

But Pickens says the creation of her sanctuary would put less stress on cattle raisers. She is confident that she will eventually be able to create a small sanctuary as a test case to convince federal officials that it will work.

[CalallenStang]

I am ALL FOR this sort of publicity. I just don't want the Mustangs on the field with Peruna. I think it would be excellent to have them on top of the hill, near the scoreboard, with some sort of educational information to help spread the word about the cause.

[Diamond Girl]

I agree with Calallenstang. Let the geldings be informational about the plight of the wild horses, but don't let them on the field to replace Peruna.

[Dutch]

can we all please give this a rest? the mustangs are here to stay. AND SO IS PERUNA!

[Diamond Girl]

can we all please give this a rest? the mustangs are here to stay. AND SO IS PERUNA!

I honestly don't know about this. I have a nephew who's a senior at Highland Park. He informed me around Christmas time Peruna isn't the mascot of SMU any longer; two 'real' horses are. I asked him where he heard this, but he wouldn't tell me. There are two options I can think of:
1) Possible recruits are being told this by members of the SMU coaching staff. My nephew has friends on the HP football team, and they could have told him this about Peruna and the geldings.
2) He could have heard this from the basketball coach he had in elementary school. This man is very active in the Mustang Club and is director of the CofC.

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

i hope they add more and more horses every year!

[mr. pony]

.... I just don't want the Mustangs on the field with Peruna. I think it would be excellent to have them on top of the hill, near the scoreboard, with some sort of educational information to help spread the word about the cause.

I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed, friend....

[Statler]

can we all please give this a rest? the mustangs are here to stay. AND SO IS PERUNA!

You just don't know what's going on behind the scenes..it's a guerilla war now. The war has just started over this....

[RGV Pony]

can we all please give this a rest? the mustangs are here to stay. AND SO IS PERUNA!

You just don't know what's going on behind the scenes..it's a guerilla war now. The war has just started over this....

oh hell.

[mustangbill67]

can we all please give this a rest? the mustangs are here to stay. AND SO IS PERUNA!

You just don't know what's going on behind the scenes..it's a guerilla war now. The war has just started over this....

oh hell.

You know RGV, I think the best thing is to just ignore these short sighted Peruna or nothing people. Let them talk to themselves.

[CalallenStang]

Bill and RGV, what do you two think about my solution? Let's create an interactive Mustang exhibit on the hill! It would be better for getting the message out about Madeleine's foundation, would provide a truly unique attraction unmatched anywhere else in college football, and would just be cool.

[mustangbill67]

I am for anything that will promote the plight of the wild Mustang. However, live animals on the field is a football thing and I have no issue with both Peruna and the Mustangs sharing the football field. This has been JJ's call all along. What is best for the team and getting them fired up and ready to play. I have closely watched the reactions of the players both at Ford and at the Hawaii Bowl to the Mustangs on the field and in my opinion the reaction has been very positive.

[Pony_Fan]

You Peruna guys are so ridiculous.

All I care about is "W's" on the schedule. It's a freakin' mascot. Who cares.

[SMU89]

can we all please give this a rest? the mustangs are here to stay. AND SO IS PERUNA!

I honestly don't know about this. I have a nephew who's a senior at Highland Park. He informed me around Christmas time Peruna isn't the mascot of SMU any longer; two 'real' horses are. I asked him where he heard this, but he wouldn't tell me. There are two options I can think of:
1) Possible recruits are being told this by members of the SMU coaching staff. My nephew has friends on the HP football team, and they could have told him this about Peruna and the geldings.
2) He could have heard this from the basketball coach he had in elementary school. This man is very active in the Mustang Club and is director of the CofC.

3) His boyfriend told him but he couldn't tell you that for obvious reasons