BRANDED BONANZA TEXAS APPLICATION
EVENT INFO: BRANDED BONANZA TEXAS
Event Dates & Location:
September 26-28, 2025
Tyler, TX
Pick-Up Options:
For this event, you may adopt from any approved BLM adoption or make an appointment at a BLM holding facility between February 15 - April 15, 2025. View the BLM adoption schedule.
Animal Assignment:
The competitor or adopter will select the animal they wish to compete with using the eligibility requirements below.
Eligible Animals:
For all adult divisions and the youth riding division, horses must be over 3-years-old and bay, brown, or sorrel. For youth in-hand divisions, horses must be 1 or 2-years-old and bay, brown, or sorrel. Adult division burros must at least 3-years-old and gray or brown. Youth division burros must be 1 or 2-years-old and gray or brown.
Please use the form below to submit your competitor application for Branded Bonanza Texas.
What you need to know BEFORE applying:
- Horses: All competitors will be adopting horses and burros. The adoption fee will be $125, payable to the Bureau of Land Management.
- BLM Adoption Application: You MUST have an approved BLM adoption application BEFORE YOU APPLY FOR BRANDED BONANZA. As part of your application, you will be asked to submit a copy of your approval notification that shows how many animals you are approved for. Competitors are encouraged to complete the application using the BLM Online Corral to expedite the process.
- Facility Photos/Videos: As part of your application, you will be asked to submit photos and/or video showing that the facilities where the animal will be housed and worked meet BLM requirements. Please have these handy when applying.
- References: As part of your application, you will be asked to submit 2 completed reference forms filled out by non-family members who can speak to your facility, and ability to work with wild horses and/or burros. You will be asked to upload these in your application, so please have them completed prior to applying.
- Divisions:
- Youth Burro (8-17)
- Adult Burro (18+)
- Youth In-Hand (8-17)
- Youth Under-Saddle (14-17)
- Adult In-Hand (18+)
- Adult Under-Saddle (18+)
- Adult and youth applicants must choose between competing in-hand or under saddle and cannot choose to compete in both divisions.
- Reassignment: If you plan to reassign your animal following the competition, Forever Branded is offering an opportunity to market your horse or burro through our website and social media channels and online platform. Private training fees are assigned by the trainer. More information will follow surrounding this offer. Note: Animals enrolled in Forever Branded programs are NOT eligible for AIP payments.
- Notes:
- The competitor, trainer and adopter can be different individuals. This means that an adopter/competitor may outsource the training of their animal if desired. It also means the adopter does not have to be the same person training and/or competing at the show. When completing the application, please note the competitor (or their legal guardian) must be the one to complete the application. If the animal will be housed or trained elsewhere, please provide that information where asked within the application. If the adopter is not the competitor, they will need to be present at pick up to complete the BLM application paperwork. Youth competitors must have an adult adopter for their animal.
- PARENTS COMPLETING AN APPLICATION FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR CHILD/CHILDREN: Please do not submit multiple applications with the same email address. Instead use the dropdown options indicated to add your child/children to the application and answer the individual questions for each. IF your child has their own email address and would like separate notifications, you may submit an individual application for them using a DIFFERENT email address than yours - otherwise their application may be lost.
