Terri Farley

Monday, June 24, 2013

Top Model has a Heart for Horses

SOJOURNER MORRELL MINGLES WITH MUSTANGS

Top model has a heart for horses

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Sojourner Morrell is a professional fashion model from the U. S. The daughter of a British father and Swiss mother, she was the first women ever to be accepted into the prestigious Spanish Riding School of Vienna. She got into modelling by sending her pictures to various agencies when she started studying at the New York University. She is represented by Wilhelmina Models in New York, Marilyn Models in Paris, and Why Not Models in Milan...and if you believed in stereotypes, you'd insist she's NOT a young woman who'd travel across the country to hang out with wild horses.

And you would be wrong.
Sojourner and her friend Christophe (more about him, tomorrow) are ricocheting around Northern Nevada because Sojourner loves horses and wanted to see Nevada's mustangs.
Lucky me! I was tagged by the Cloud Foundation to make that happen and was excited to give Sojourner copies of PHANTOM STALLION books in French and English.
Over lunch with Shannon Windle of Hidden Valley Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, we made a plan to find wild horses and talked about world affairs.
It was an eye-opening day in many ways. I so admire people -- like Sojourner and Christophe -- who are fluent in several languages. Really. We discussed American politics, mad cow disease, the treatment of mustangs by BLM vs. Nevada Department of Agriculture, at-risk teens, dressage, old-time Nevada divorce ranches and Cajun cooking.
Following a back road through pine trees, we visited wild horses that had been rescued from kill-buyers in Fallon, Nevada. This rowdy bunch galloped around, putting on a Wild West show to prove they were still every inch MUSTANGS.
Next, we found wild horses that well-meaning people have been hand feeding. It was nice for our visitors to see them close up, but as Sojourner said, "They're very accustomed to humans. That's not good, is it."
I took a few snapshots with my phone, but Christophe is an internationally renowned photographer, so when some of HIS photos pop I'm, I'll alert you.
In the meantime, you should know that Sojourner is determined to find a way to use her considerable skills to help save wild horses and I have a feeling that something magical may happen.
Watch for updates! Terri

Sojourner turns the tables, photographing wild horses near a Reno neighborhood

Shannon Windle and Sojourner Morrell under wide Nevada skies

Sojourner loved the buckskin's coloring, but she was scoping out mustangs as dressage prospects. About ten minutes later, she spotted a black mare with the right conformation.

Look over Sojourner's shoulders and you'll see wild horses saved from slaughter. "Blustery" would be an understatement for the stormy afternoon, but Sojourner kept asking to see more horses!

Sojourner, 17, was the first woman accepted into Vienna's Spanish Riding School. Read the story announcing her selection British Teen Shatters 436-year men-only tradition