'Amazing recovery' ends Arabian saga

CAVE CREEK - Alex Dorst knew the white Arabian horse had gone missing over the weekend.

By Monday morning, Dorst and his family, who operate Big Sky Foxtrotters Ranch, knew they had to help search for the 7-year-old Arabian named Masquerade.

The horse went missing after it tripped and fell during an endurance ride Saturday at McDowell Mountain Regional Park.

Dorst and his family live about three miles north of the preserve.

The Arabian's owner, Lucian Spataro, 50, was offering a $10,000 reward to the person who found his horse.

Dorst, his wife, father-in-law and sister-in-law visiting from Germany set out on the search.

"We figured this would be a big adventure for her (sister-in-law)," Dorst said.

Before Dorst left his ranch, he asked Irene Murphy, who was organizing the search, for the coordinates of the last place Masquerade was seen.

About 45 minutes into the search, Dorst's stallion, Mr. Money Maker, began to nicker.

He sensed another horse in the canyon, in the northwestern corner of the park, a half-mile from where Masquerade was lost, not far from Rio Verde.

It was Masquerade.

Dorst's horse went right to the Arabian, whose saddle was twisted around underneath him.

"I was afraid he was going to run away, but he was really glad to see us," Dorst said.

Masquerade allowed Dorst to pick up his bridle. Dorst marched him back to his trailer and called Murphy, who then called Spataro.

Spartaro said he was ecstatic when he heard the news.

"He's a member of the family," he said. "You and the horse are training together. It's a very close relationship."

Spataro, who has owned Masquerade for two years, credited the stallion for the discovery.

"That's what a stallion does," Spataro said. "That challenge brought my horse out of the canyon."

Dorst and his wife are donating the $10,000 reward to the Arizona Equine Rescue Organization that helps rescue sick or injured horses abandoned or abused by their owners.

Dorst was one of at least 100 people, including family members, friends, other riders and horses from the competition and volunteer Maricopa County Sheriff's Posse members who searched for the horse since Saturday. The Sheriff's office provided a helicopter on Saturday and Spataro enlisted private helicopter services.

Spataro, a partner in a Valley investment group, was moved by the efforts to help find his horse.

"We were blown away," he said. "It was an amazing recovery."

Murphy, the endurance-ride manager, said that many times during these types of rides that horses that get lost return the same day.

The horses tend to stay near the riders or find their way to a base camp set up along the trail, she said. However, horses sometimes remain missing for three to six months in more remote locations, she said.

"He's a member of the family," Lucian Spataro said of his horse, Masquerade. "You and the horse are training together. It's a very close relationship."