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Ginger Kathrens Brings Wild Horse Drama to Chicago

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Wild Horse Advocate and Emmy Award-Winning Filmmaker, Ginger Kathrens Screens Latest Cloud Film in Chicago

Filmmaker Hailed as the Jane Goodall for the American Wild Mustang - Photo by R.T. Fitch

Chicago, IL (December 10, 2009)—Ginger Kathrens brings wild horse drama to Chicago this weekend with a series of screenings and public appearances for all ages beginning today through December 13th. Last Monday the filmmaker joined many other critics of Department of Interior Secretary Salazar’s proposal to move 25,000 American wild horses and burros from their native ecosystems in the West to pastures and corrals in the Midwest and East at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Advisory Board meeting in Reno, NV. Kathrens, who has studied and filmed the mustangs in their natural environment for more than 15 years, welcomes the Chicago area public to learn about the American wild mustang—their lives, their families and the threat of extinction they are facing now.
“15 years ago I set out to do a film about wild horses. My fascination with these amazing animals grows stronger every year as I discover more and more about their behavior and survival strategies. Yet, the existence of entire wild horse herds is threatened by BLM decisions allowing privately owned livestock to dominate the use of public lands designated principally for wild horses. —Ginger Kathrens, Emmy-award winning filmmaker and creator of the popular PBS Cloud Documentaries.
Kathrens’ latest documentary film, Cloud: Challenge of the Stallions, premiered on PBS’s Nature series, sponsored by WNET in New York City in October 2009.  This latest film is part of her series focusing on a small, historic wild horse herd in the Rocky Mountains and the pale palomino stallion, Cloud. The documentaries represent the only known documentation of a wild animal from birth in our hemisphere. The programs follow Cloud from the day he was born through the seasons of his life amongst the colorful wild horses of the Pryors, a remote herd with unique Spanish bloodlines.
“The American public loves mustang stories—the drama of their lives, their struggle for survival and their ability to remain strong and free, even in harsh conditions.  These wild horses are a living metaphor of our collective will to remain free, defy adversity and overcome sometimes impossible odds.” —Ginger Kathrens
In light of the controversial BLM winter roundups now going on in California (Dec. 7-14) and scheduled to start in Nevada (Dec. 28), Ginger Kathrens joins with Sheryl Crow, Lily Tomlin, Bill Maher and other celebrities as well as scientists and more than 175 organizations asking President Obama for a moratorium on wild horse roundups until a long-term solution to protect and preserve wild horses on public lands in the west is formalized.
“Ginger Kathrens is the Jane Goodall for the American wild mustang.  She is a naturalist, witness, advocate, educator and filmmaker.”—Sheryl Crow
Schedule of Events
  • Thursday evening, December 10- Cloud: Challenge of the Stallions, screening and discussion with the filmmaker, 7:30 p.m., Trinity United Methodist Church, 1024 Lake Avenue, Wilmette. Free
  • Friday evening, December 11 – Cloud: Challenge of the Stallions, screening and presentation, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., University of Illinois Conference Center – 1100 E. Warrenville Road, Naperville. $10 ($5 students)
  • Saturday morning, December 12 – Book, DVD signing and discussion with Ginger Kathrens. 10:00 a.m, The Book Stall, 811 Elm Street, Winnetka. Free
  • Saturday afternoon, December 12 – Cloud: Challenge of the Stallions, screening and presentation, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Hoffman Estates Northern Illinois University Conference Center, 5555 Trillium Blvd., Hoffman Estates $10 ($5 students)
  • Sunday morning, December 13 – A Stable-side Chat with Ginger Kathrens: film clips interwoven with discussion. 10:30am-12:30pm at Danada Equestrian Center – 3 South 501 Naperville Rd, Wheaton, IL $10 ($5 students).
  • No tickets or RSVP required
Of interest:
NY Times: US Plan for Wild Horse Round-Up Faces Opposition
Unified Moratorium letter and signatories
The Cloud Foundation and Ginger Kathrens
Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971
2009-2010 Roundup Schedule
Frequently Asked Questions on Wild Horses
Photos, video and interviews available from:
The Cloud Foundation
719-351-8187 or
719-633-3842
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10 replies »

  2. Go for it, Iron Woman!!! R.T., thank you for posting this.

    Ginger reminds me of a really “old time” pioneer type person with her reserved yet gritty nature and ability to “keep on truckin'” on behalf of all the wonderful wild horses that yet have their freedom on American lands. And all her staff that give of their time and talents so freely. Somebody needs to write a book about all our wonderful wild horse people out there today and in the past as a collection of biographies for all those who will follow, in the future, onto this perpetual battlefield. Never let the BLM be the last ones standing!!!!

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  3. With all the activity around the wild horse and burro issue, the possible shooting deaths of six wild horses on the Nevada-California border seems to have slipped through the cracks.

    According to a December 7, 2009, BLM press release, a helicopter pilot working on a “gather” in the Buckhorn HMA in northern California/Nevada, “discovered” six wild horses that had apparently been shot to death.

    The BLM’s Cedarville, CA office is investigating and is asking the public to help find the killers. The BLM has not apprehended wild horse or burro killers in the vast majority of the killings that we know about, but maybe this one could be different. I am asking my state Senators to call for an independent investigation.

    Let there be justice for at least these six horses. Here is a link to the BLM press release. http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2009/december/NC1016_horsedeaths.html

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    • Thanks for bringing this up again. There are so few ways for anyone to find people who kill wild horses in remote areas. Our wild horses and burros who have died in this manner, and there have been many, deserve all our attempts at finding their killers. There are likely people who know who they are. It would be hard to speak out against a dangerous person. People who do this once may do it again. Help stop these people with guns, no sense and no respect for life. Report these people if you have heard they have shot wild horses. Please.

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    • I Put the article on my Facebook. Hoping to instill outrage and action among the younger set!
      What were the weather conditions like two weeks ago when this crime was committed? What is the land like in that area? How would perpetrators have gotten to the crime scene? By car, horse, snowmobile, foot? Was there a road nearby? Isn’t that part of Nevada a rugged place to be?

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      • There are some lakes (including a SOB Lake), two springs and a road, Buckhorn Road, in that area (I google earthed it & searched 45 Miles NW of the town they mentioned. So easy access for anyone. Assuming that’s the place it happened.

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  5. OK, how do we clone Ginger Kathrens?

    And I hope you sell lots of books and DVDs! I can only imagine how this path, this cause, has impacted your film making business! Best wishes in Chicago.

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