Equine lovers across Northwest Colorado and beyond will unite this weekend for a display involving the animal synonymous with the Western lifestyle.

The Meeker Mustang Makeover will return to the Rio Blanco County Fairgrounds this weekend, demonstrating horsemanship, community spirit and more.

According to event organizers, for the past 120 days, dedicated trainers have poured their hearts and souls into transforming wild mustangs into magnificent, well-trained horses. The culmination of their hard work and dedication will be showcased as they compete for over $17,000 in prizes and scholarships.

A Friday evening Mustang Mingle will kick things off at 6 p.m. at the 4-H building with live music, food and silent auctions. The real action runs throughout the day Saturday, starting at 9 a.m. with sessions showcasing a variety of horse handlers and the different roles they and their animals fulfill.

Among the midday highlights will be a performance by Denver-based equine drill organization the Westernaires, who will show off trick riding, Roman riding, Native American dances, dressage and more as part of their repertoire.

Layla Churchley will be one of many trainers who will be showing off the effort they’ve made in recent months with their hooved companions.

In Churchley’s case, her mustang is a yearling named Story, with whom she’s bonded considerably.

“Story knows lots of tricks and is a horse that could be suited for anything in the future,” she said. “He’s a bit of a clingy horse, and I’ve been working on him being the same with everyone. He’s definitely always the best when I work him. I am hoping our freestyle will be pretty cool, and we have a lot of really cool things planned.”

For more information, visit MeekerMustangMakeover.org.