Spirit’s 30th Birthday

Photo by Ondrea Hidley

Meet Spirit, the Kiger mustang stallion was used as a model for the inspiration of the 2002 DreamWorks animated film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. The production of the film started in 1998 when Donner (later renamed Spirit) was 3 years old. After the film was completed, Spirit was given to Return to Freedom, a wild horse sanctuary and conservation, in April 2002 at Lompoc, California. The screenplay of the film was scripted by John Fusco, writer of Hidalgo and conservator of Spanish Mustangs. It was based on an idea by film producer and co-founder of DreamWorks SKG, Jeffrey Katzenberg.

Birth Name: Donner (1995–2002)

Date of Birth: May 8, 1995 (30 years old)

Breed: Kiger Mustang

Color: Dun (with dorsal stripe)

Gender: Stallion