The gathering, held in Santa Monica, honored longtime equine advocate Jenni Kayne
Words by ELIZABETH VARNELL
Photography by JESSICA MANGIA
A host of horse lovers converged in Santa Monica at The Buffalo Club for an alfresco evening benefiting the American Wild Horse Conservation Group. The event was held to celebrate and save the free-roaming animals and burros who inhabit open steppes and grasslands at the organization’s Stay Wild L.A. Gala held on Thursday, September 19. Championing humane, in-the-wild protection for the animals on public lands were Jenni Kayne, Rainey Qualley, Kelly Sawyer, Brandi Cyrus, Tish Cyrus and Dominic Purcell, Irene Neuwirth, Nick Fouquet, Mark Brownlow, Kristopher Brock, Kaitlynn Carter, Rocky Barnes, Victoria Salisbury, Sarni Rogers, Sasha Stone, Ari Zucker, and Scott Wilson along with Suzanne Roy, the nonprofit’s executive director, board members Ellie Phipps Price and Patricia Miller, and scores of supporters.
Qualley, who performs as Rainsford, took to the stage to sing selections from her forthcoming album and also a lullaby in a nod to her pregnancy. “I grew up riding horses as a child in Montana,” she said. “I work a lot with animal shelters in L.A. and foster kitties, but I didn’t know anything about what a drastic situation is going on with wild horses before learning about this group.” The evening brought together advocates, artists, animal welfare activists, and people who love horses from a variety of backgrounds. Miller welcomed them all with a quick history of the origins of the organization. “Thirteen years ago we saw there was a major problem. We saw wild horses being rounded up on our public lands. That was the beginning. This was based on the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. The idea was that these horses and burros would be protected. What ended up happening is that law was chipped away and gutted and now the government has the right to sell horses to slaughter when they become older. Now there are more horses in government holding than left wild and free. These animals are at risk of losing their place on Western public lands.”
Later in the evening, Roy presented the nonprofit’s annual Freedom Award to designer Jenni Kayne, who noted, “It’s my goal to keep raising awareness so that more people can learn just how special these wild horses are.” Kayne declared herself “a horse girl through and through.” She also explained the special pull she feels between herself and the animals. “I start almost every day with a ride, and I call it my moving meditation — I find the connection I have with my horses to be so special and meaningful.” After working to rescue mini horses and mini donkeys, she learned about the plight of those in the wild. “I’ve also been lucky enough to see wild horses in the summers when I go riding in Reno, and I’m always blown away by their beauty and wildness. It’s heartbreaking to see these majestic creatures that are true icons of the West be treated so inhumanely and horribly as they’re rounded up and separated from their families, and I was moved to get involved,” she added. Kayne lauded the AWHC’s work through its land fund, legal arm, and legislation, as well as its humane fertility program. “I’m so grateful to them and will continue to work with them to save our wild horses,” she said.
October 1, 2024
Discover more CULTURE news.
