The colt-starting competition Road to the Horse is celebrating its 10th anniversary in a spectacular way. Past, present and future competitors will meet beneath one roof; this many clinicians have never been seen before in the same place at the same time.
Some of the past clinicians returning are as follows: Clinton Anderson, Curt Pate, Craig Cameron, Stacy Westfall, Martin Black, Chris Cox, Mike Kevil, Tommy Garland, Ken McNabb, Guy McLean, Dan James, Glenn Stewart and Jonathan Field.
On Saturday night in the Alltech Arena in Lexington, Ky., there will be Ram tailgate bars during a celebration of horsemanship, horses and reliving the monumental moments of Road to the Horse.
In 2003, Clinton Anderson set the world on fire when he took a victory stand on the back of his colt and waved to the crowd. That monumental move has become the signature piece for Road to the Horse. Anderson waltzed into a back-to-back repeat victory in 2005.
In 2006, Stacy Westfall, a recent National Cowgirl Hall of Fame inductee, became the first woman to not only compete at Road to the Horse but to win hands down.
“This year was extraordinary,” says Bland. “The horses were extremely challenging and each clinician was outstanding. I also think Stacy’s win was a great step forward-confirming that women can compete differently, but on the same level as men.”
In 2007, Chris Cox made his first appearance and blew the crowd away with a spectacular performance.
In 2008, the competition was neck-and-neck until the moment the winning envelope was opened; then, Cox proved that he was still the best with a repeat win.
At the beginning of Winters’ 2009 training session, he explained to the crowd that his training approach was to train his colt as if it were just another day on the ranch. For Winters, this method included riding his colt in the obstacle course and freestyle performance in a halter rather than a bridle and bit. This feat made him the first champion to ride his colt to victory bitless.
Clinton Anderson is one of the previous winners of Road to the Horse returning for the celebration of the 2013 event.
In 2010, Cameron proved to be more than just a bench warmer by winning the world champion title.
Road to the Horse made a game-changing decision in 2011 in bringing the Remuda colts from the legendary 6666 Ranch in Guthrie, Texas, to be paired with the Legends of the horsemanship world. Clinton Anderson, Chris Cox and Pat Parelli stepped into the round pens writing history in this unforgettable competition for the title of World Champion. In the end, it was Cox’s earnest determination that won the judges’ favor and earned him the Road to the Horse Triple Crown; this achievement was undeniable proof that he was the unstoppable champion.
In 2012, all plans changed as Tootie expanded her search for the best clinician to the international level. Two competitors from Australia, Guy McLean and Dan James; two competitors from Canada, Jonathan Field and Glenn Stewart; and two competitors from the United States, Cameron and Parelli were selected. McLean and James cleaned house and took the road down under, and thereby proving that nothing could stand in their way, including Bland’s obstacles.
In 2013, Road to the Horse International 2012 champions James and McLean will return to defend their title as colt-starting world champions against newcomers Sarah Winters and Obbie Schlom.
Don’t miss any of the excitement of this year’s Road to the Horse colt-start competition! Meet the clinicians and RTTH celebs ahead of time with behind-the-scenes interviews, and during the event be sure to check out the daily blogs and photos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, brought to you by MyHorse Daily and Spalding Labs. You can find us on Facebook or on Twitter at #RTTHFromtheStart.
By Amy Herdy