Gringo the horse broke a world record with his incredible tricks
This beautiful white mustang from Bolivia, North Carolina, USA just broke a record with his talented owner for the most tricks performed by a horse in 3 minutes – he’s such a good boy!
Lauryn Zepeda and her 19-year-old horse, Gringo, crushed the tricky record as the intelligent animal danced, kicked around a ball, and even posed for a selfie, to reach the impressive total of 38 tricks in just 90 seconds.
WOW!
The incredible duo have been competing in showcases together for 10 years, and you can clearly see how much they care for and trust each other.
Gringo was born in the wild, and after Lauryn adopted him, she trained him using a clicker and treats, similar to how people instruct dogs.
Do you have a pet? Have you taught them any fun tricks?
Gringo was never forced to do any of these tricks, but as it turns out – he genuinely loves being a performer, especially when there are treats and praise involved!
While preparing to break the record, Lauryn and Gringo trained for months and months, building everything in small, manageable pieces before eventually putting it all together.
“To Gringo it never felt like work, it was simply play,” she said. “While I may have felt the weight of it, to him it’s just time spent together doing something he enjoys. He knows that his effort is always met with a reward, which keeps the experience fun for him.”
Hard work always pays off!
And what does a day in Gringo’s life look like?
Well, he lives on a farm with absolute freedom – he’s outdoors all day, with constant access to hay and shelter whenever he wants it.
He performs tricks alongside a “small herd” of other animals whenever he feels like it, and spends the rest of his time “getting filthy” during mud baths, and asking Lauryn for his favourite treat (animal crackers, of course).
So let’s just say… it’s a sweet life!
When the time came for the pair to tackle the event, Lauryn created a list of 36 tricks for the horse to perform, as well as 8 back-ups – it’s important to plan ahead!
These included movement cues, such as lifting one leg or dropping his head, as well as prop stunts, like waving a flag or ringing a bell – sounds pretty fun, right?
For Lauryn, the biggest challenge was learning how to communicate with Gringo without ever touching him, as per the Guinness World Records guidelines for this attempt.
“Gringo is naturally talented, highly intelligent, and incredibly sensitive,” she told us proudly.
When the day of the official attempt finally arrived, Lauryn washed the horse until his white coat shined – and then Gringo immediately gave himself a dirt bath in the mud…
Classic Gringo, ha!
Tricks 13 through 17 involved items – which required Gringo to wave a miniature American flag, stroke his nose across a tiny toy piano, blow into a horn, ring a bell, and choose a card out of a deck.
So cute!
They ended their routine with some dancing, marching, and walking backwards – before posing for an adorable selfie, blowing a kiss, and giving a bow!
Lauryn was so proud of Gringo, and they celebrated their awesome accomplishment by catering tacos and sharing cake – one for humans, and a special one for Gringo!
The cake didn’t last long, however, and he gave it a little lick during pictures before stomping it with his hoof.
Lauryn and Gringo’s bond is truly special, and we cannot wait to see what the duo will achieve next.
Congratulations, you guys are Officially Amazing!
