Friday's Pony Trails cruise...
Friday's Pony Trails cruise took us through the majestic mountains of the Zion National Park, just east of St. George. Because the park doesn't allow large caravans, we cruised in smaller groups, which worked out well as it allowed us to stop for photo ops. Our group was led by Shelby American's Gary Patterson in a red '12 GT 350 convertible. Chuck Brown drove his '69 'G.T. 350 convertible because, "That's what you're supposed to do with them." We cruised in the black and gold 50th Anniversary GT 500 Super Snake; watch for a drive report next month.
They called it the Showdown at the Red Rock Corral. Driving into the canyon that forms the natural Tuachan Amphitheatre near St. George, Utah, it was easy to see how the Northern Utah Mustang Owners Association (NUMOA) came up with the name for their Mustang Club of America national show--we were surrounded by 1,500-foot red-rock cliffs. It's such a beautiful place (Tuachan is Mayan for Canyon of the Gods) for a Mustang show that members of the NUMOA, based in Salt Lake City in northern Utah, traveled 300 miles to St. George in southern Utah to host their show there.
Held on April 27-29, the Showdown at the Red Rock Corral attracted over 250 Mustangs and their owners, along with vendors like Marti Autoworks, Shelby American, Mustang Depot, and Scott Drake, for the three-day national MCA event. Of course, there was concours judging for the best Mustangs in the West, plus a Thursday evening reception, Friday Pony Trails, Saturday night barbecue and auction, and Sunday awards ceremony. As a bonus, country music star Martina McBride performed at the Tuachan Amphitheatre, a 3,000-seat concert venue conveniently located at the show site. We noticed there were plenty of people wearing Mustang apparel in the audience.
Of course, there were Mustangs from every era, mainly late-model, as is becoming the case at most Mustang shows these days. However, we found a number of extra-nice vintage feature cars, including Dennis Squire's modified Mach 1 and Alan Morgan's copper-themed '66 fastback, both featured this month. We also discovered Ray Claybrook's 20,000-mile '69 Boss 302, John Johnson's CJ-powered '68 California Special, and John Friden's original-owner '71 Boss 351, so keep an eye for those features in the near future.
At the end of the Pony Trails,...
At the end of the Pony Trails, everyone gathered at the Clear Creek Family Ranch for live entertainment, barbecue, and an impromptu car show.
In a wonderful coincidence...
In a wonderful coincidence for the ladies--including my wife, Pam--the show coincided with Tuachan's Saturday marketplace, which features local crafts and merchandise. It cost me a few bucks for an early Mother's Day present. A man-made waterfall and stream ran from the amphitheatre steps through the length of the facility.
On Saturday, over 250 Mustangs...
On Saturday, over 250 Mustangs displayed at the Tuachan Amphitheatre in a canyon where two mountains ranges converge. You couldn't ask for a more beautiful place for a Mustang show.
This CJ-powered '68 California...
This CJ-powered '68 California Special was one of several concours Mustangs displayed by John Johnson. Watch for a feature on this rare Mustang in a future issue.
Jay Bryner was driving this...
Jay Bryner was driving this '69 Mustang hardtop when dating his future wife, Jan, during high school. Jay also drove the Mustang in college, and later on his honeymoon. The car was restored in 2002 as a restomod with Budnik wheels, a leather interior, and dual-quad induction.
The owner of this '67 Shelby...
The owner of this '67 Shelby G.T. 500 got some excellent concours advice from MCA Shelby judge Jeff Speegle (left).
Shelli Marti was obviously...
Shelli Marti was obviously entertained when Jon Schultz (right), president of the Beach Cities Mustang Club and "auctioneer" for the NUMOA's Saturday evening auction, put Kevin Marti on the spot to sweeten his donation in an effort to increase the bid. It worked. The auction raised $5,000 for 12-year-old Abby Doman, who underwent a heart transplant due to an enlarged heart condition. The NUMOA also donated $3,000 from their raffle.
MCA national director J. P....
MCA national director J. P. Weber bought his '66 GT convertible in 1967 and still owns it today. The Nightmist Blue Mustang was his daily driver for 10 years. He's still driving it today, having driven from his home in Lincoln, Nebraska, to shows in Virginia, Oklahoma, Illinois, and now Utah.
It was nice of the NUMOA to...
It was nice of the NUMOA to schedule their MCA national show at Tuachan Amphitheatre in conjunction with a Saturday night performance by country music entertainer Martina McBride. We saw plenty of Mustangers in the audience.