My name is Cricket Natapow, and I am fourteen years old. I am on a mission to protect one of America’s most iconic and majestic creatures—wild mustangs. That’s why I am raising funds to support the Wild Rose Mustang Advocacy Group.

My journey began when I took a class called Horsepower: Saving the Mustang, and we read a book called Wild Horse Country that was not only deeply moving but also a call to action. I learned about the heartbreaking reality these wild horses face. Every year, nearly 1,000 wild horses are forced on a grueling four-day journey from Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, and Oregon to Mexico and Canada—without food or water—only to be slaughtered.

In 1971, Velma Bronn Johnston, known as Wild Horse Annie, helped pass the Wild Horses and Burros Free Roaming Act, protecting these animals from slaughter. Today, those protections are under threat. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rounds up 20,000 mustangs annually, placing them in long-term holding facilities. While this is better than the past—when over 1.5 million wild horses were slaughtered for dog food—many now fear history is repeating itself. The BLM struggles with funding, and when money runs low, so does the care for these horses.

But we don’t have to accept this. We can make a difference.

By supporting the Wild Rose Mustang Advocacy Group, we can ensure that these magnificent creatures continue to roam free, as they were meant to. Every action, every donation, every voice matters.

Join me in standing up for America’s wild horses. Together, we can protect their future.