Adios

Nearly thirty years ago inspectors from the Spanish Mustang Registry gathered on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. They waded ashore on Shackleford island where they saw a wild herd of Spanish mustangs whose type and conformation shocked them. They described the herd as a 'treasure'.

Most of the group waded ashore, not in rubber knee boots, but in the cowboy boots that were as natural a part of their every day attire as were their socks. One had come in all the way from Wyoming. Emmet Brislawn, the son of Bob Brislawn, founder of the Spanish Mustang Registry, knew that he was looking at something special. He recognized the Banker horses for exactly what they were, wild Spanish mustangs.

He was so impressed with these horses that Son of Sailor, a Banker stallion, became one of the herd stallions on the famed Cayuse Ranch in Wyoming. He ran with his herd of mares for years there on the ranch and provided much of the foundation stock for what became known as the famed East/West cross of Spanish mustangs.

Emmet and his daughter Josie carried on the family work of preserving Spanish Mustangs for the remainder of his life. That life came to an end two days ago. It was a long and a full life.

For many horses are a hobby, for others they are a lifestyle and for a lucky few they become life itself. Emmet's life was his horses and the horse world is all the better for it.