John Przypek/associated press Terri Farley offers hay to a horse called Phantom on Jan. 25 prior to his release onto the 5,000 acre Wild Horse Sanctuary on the slopes of Mount Lassen, in Shingletown, Calif. Farley is the author of "The Phantom Stallion" books for young readers.
DAYTON - For about 15 years, wild-horse advocates enjoyed the occasional visits of a majestic white stallion that wandered down from the mountains.
Sometimes, Dayton area residents said they would only get a glimpse of the sleek, spirited animal, along with other horses in his band. Soon, the stallion was named "Phantom."
"He had a certain mystery about him. One day, you'd see him, and then he was gone again," said Shirley Allen of Dayton, who runs a wild-horse rescue and adoption center.
As word spread around the community, horse lovers would watch for Phantom and wait to hear about sightings from others. They became protective of the stallion and his mare as they traveled on the outskirts of Dayton and Mark Twain before quietly slipping away into the rugged Virginia Range.
Phantom would always come back to reassure horse watchers that he was still around, and he earned the admiration of many for his spirited nature.
"We became very attached to him. He represents why this area is special, a symbol for why it's so important to protect wild horses" as development continues to steadily encroach on their traditional areas, said Bonnie Matton, president of the Dayton-based Wild Horse Preservation League.
But Phantom and his band wandered too far into residents' yards on a couple of occasions. When some complained, the Nevada Department of Agriculture dispatched its horse specialists to shoo Phantom back into the mountains.
When the stallion came back again late last year, Mike Holmes, of the state agency, told wild-horse groups he didn't have any choice but to capture Phantom again, and this time, take him, his mare and their foal to the state prison gentling program.
Overnight, a grass-roots effort began to keep Phantom free and ensure his safety.
Volunteers began making phone calls and knocking on doors to raise enough money to pay for a place where Phantom could be protected.
Soon, they found a solution.
"It was a remarkable effort, and it generated public awareness," Matton said. It was reminiscent of wild horse supporters' efforts in 2001 to save Two Socks after the 20-year-old stallion was rounded up east of Dayton, she said.
Matton said $1,500 was raised in one week for Phantom, which led to more donations. The state allowed the three horses to be taken to Allen's corrals temporarily.
"Because a lot of people cared about Phantom, he is now safe in a sanctuary," Matton said. "We hope he can come home someday. But for now, he's in a good place."
The place is the Wild Horse Sanctuary in Shingletown, Calif.
In all, Matton said $4,000 was raised, which should keep Phantom and his mare, Shy, at the protective facility for four years.
During the fundraising campaign, the Dayton area wild horse advocates connected with a key ally. Author Terri Farley, who wrote the "Phantom Stallion" series for young readers, found out about the real Phantom, remarkably similar to the horse she describes in her books, and became involved in helping him.
Allen, who looked after Phantom and Shy before taking them to Shingletown on Dec. 1, said she's hopeful the stallion ultimately will return to his Nevada home.
"In any case, he's a great ambassador for us. He has a lot of charisma, and because of his personality, he's become a poster boy" for wild-horse protection efforts, Allen said.
Meanwhile, the foal she cared for at her corral, Rain Cloud, has been adopted by Amber Brookfield of Mark Twain.
"When I found out Phantom was captured for the third time, I knew I wanted to see if I could adopt the foal," Brookfield said.
Brookfield, 18, who received Rain Cloud around Christmas, said she realizes she needs to have a great deal of patience.
"It's going to take some time. I'm going to have to work with R.C. every day, but it's something I really want to do," she said outside the corral where she works with the 9-month-old horse.
Her mother, Margaret Brookfield, who previously adopted the offspring of a wild horse at Shingletown, said it will likely take about a year before Rain Cloud can be halter-trained.
They describe the colt's light brown color as "buttermilk and buckskin" and said he's gradually getting used to his new home.
The surroundings are familiar, Margaret Brookfield said. She said she saw Phantom with his family several times before their capture but also had seen the white stallion alone on a number of occasions.
Allen said Holmes of the Department of Agriculture tried to relocate Phantom to the Virginia City Highlands before deciding he had to pick up the stallion.
"Phantom's instincts keep bringing him back here," Allen said.
She said some people in the area were most likely feeding Phantom, which made him accustomed to being around people.
"One of our biggest problems is in trying to educate people not the feed wild horses," Allen said.
Matton said wild-horse advocate Lacy J. Dalton of the Virginia City area, a country and Western music vocalist who started the Let 'em Run Foundation, also joined the campaign to raise money to care for Phantom. Dalton is attempting to establish a wild-horse sanctuary in the Virginia Range.
"We hope it will happen over the next few years, and Phantom can come home," Matton said.
He's doing well in Shingletown, sanctuary operator Dianne Nelson said.
Phantom has been held in a small enclosure, but the plan is to release him into a fenced 5,000-acre area.
"When that happens, we'll have a release party up here," Nelson said.
On the Net
Wild Horse Preservation League:
www.wildhorsepl.org
Wild Horse Sanctuary: www.wildhorsesanctuary.org