Challis Roundup, 2026

By Laura Leigh on September 10, 2026

Challis comprises about 164,720 total acres in Custer County, Idaho. Challis is the last herd in the entire state of Idaho that has genetically viable numbers using the recommendations of Dr. E. Gus Cothran, a renowned equine population geneticist and professor emeritus at Texas A&M University.

Idaho has approximately 34 million acres of federal public land, which makes up nearly 62% to 65% of the state’s total area. Idaho has about 11.6 million acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land. Of that acreage, only 418,000 acres is designated for wild horses. In Idaho, 11.5 million BLM acres supports 2,100 private livestock grazing allotments.

Only 3.6% of BLM land in the entire state is set aside for wild horse use and on every acre private livestock is prioritized.

The target goal for wild horse numbers for the entire state of Idaho is to have only 401 in the state. After the 2026 roundup season, Idaho will have fewer than 500 wild horses in the entire state.

Challis: BLM plans to capture 286 and permanently remove 172. At this time BLM is reporting that mares will be given the two-dose GonaCon fertility control treatment (up to 10 years of efficacy in domestic horses). At this time they have no released information regarding gelding.

WHE is challenging this operation in court. The BLM has reached their number goal (AML) twice under this assessment. The courts have been clear; when AML is reached a new assessment must be done before any wild horse is removed from Challis; and that includes at this roundup. We will work hard to get these wild horses back home.

If what you see at roundups concerns you, please take action:

Concerns with the lack of a formalized welfare standard run deep. Gaining an enforceable welfare policy that contains clear standards is vital. The concerns include concerns with foaling season, air quality and heat index standards. All of these critical issues are very relevant to this roundup.

You can take ACTION here.

Official cumulative numbers:

BLMs website has some strange things happening with numbers. Right now it has 30 foals in the “treated with fertility control” line and they dropped the “total shipped.” We will update as we obtain correct numbers, Their numbers are not “adding up.” As an example they list 23 foals as the cumulative number, but adding up the foals shipped gets you to 29, and te=hen they have 30 listed as “treated with fertility control.”

Captured (official count): 226 (75 Stallions, 101 Mares, 7 Geldings, 43 Foals)

The roundup has ended. This operation ended 21% below capture goal. Saylor Creek in Idaho had the capture total changed after BLM overestimated the number of horses on the range. BLM recognizes a 22% error rate in population estimates, downward. Yet BLM never recognizes this distinction when setting capture numbers or creating the Population Statistics Report used for funding. The Idaho roundups are not the only ones that came in short of goal this summer, the roundups in Utah and Colorado are also coming in short of target goals. As states get closer to hitting the “low AML” target, the flawed population estimates will become more obvious.

Updates from BLM are not making sense. (09-14-26)In the “fertility control” category it says “30 foals.” Update: BLM has fixed the updated totals and removed the error)

Shipped to onsite permanent corral in Challis: 203 (77 Stallions, 90 Mares, and 36 Foals) this is a manual count because BLM dropped this line from their online website.

Deaths: 1, broken leg (we were told during an escape attempt) on day one, but reported later. In the video at the bottom you can see an escape attempt. We do not know if it was that horse because observer was really bad.

Please be aware, BLM weakened the standards in their CAWP program on June 29th, right before helicopter roundup season began. A veterinarian is no longer required to be onsite.

Newer reports will appear at the top. This page will update frequently.

09-16-26: BLM lists ” Animals Gathered: (5 Stallions, 9 Mares, 6 Foals) Animals Shipped: 20 (5 Stallions,9 Mares, 6 Foals) .” We believe one is in error and will update as needed.

09-15-26: 7 (5 Stallions, 1 Mare, 1 Foal)

09-14-26: 27 (8 Stallions, 11 Mares, 2 Geldings, 6 Foals)

09-13-26: 1 stallion

09-12-26: 57 (18 Stallions, 30 Mares, 2 Geldings and 7 Foals) captured

09-11-26: 30 (8 Stallions, 15 Mares, 1 Gelding and 6 Foals) captured

09-10-26: 33 (6 Stallions, 18 Mares, and 9 Foals) captured. Our onsite observer had to leave for personal reasons and te replacement had an emergency, It has been a hard summer.

09-09-26

Really nothing could be seen during capture. Observers were not allowed to move closer or further down the ridge. They were not even allowed to elevate cameras. Half of the observers left in frustration.

51 (24 Stallions, 2 geldings, 17 Mares, and 8 Foals) wild horses were captured.

Some of loading could be seen between the tall grasses and brush. You can see the gate of the trailer being used to slam against a horse to get it all the way into the trailer.

One of the horses attempting to escape apparently died; broken leg. BLM added this death to their reports for day 1.

Observers were held until nearly dark before being able to view wild horses in the corral. Discriminatory access was provided as one individual was allowed to climb on pens and look inside while others had to stay away from the corrals.

This week our team is working on briefing for this case and the Carter, Buckhorn and Coppersmith case where BLM is appealing the Preliminary Injunction that stopped that roundup slated to begin September 1 (more here).

You can see our roundup coverage for 2026 HERE.

If what you see at roundups concerns you, please take action:

You can learn more about the issue and take ACTION here.

We thank you for being an active advocate and standing up for Freedom, Mercy and Justice.