Road to the Horse

Road to the Horse owner and producer Tootie Bland judged the Western States Mustang Makeover on June 12-13, 2009 with two past Road to the Horse competitors, Ken McNabb (whom will compete in 2010) and Tommy Garland. Part of the Western States Horse Expo, the Mustang Makeover featured 22 participants who had 90 days to train and compete with a wild American Mustang.

“Patti Colbert graciously asked me to judge Mustang Makeover and I accepted the invitation. It was an honor to judge the event and I was in great company. There was great camaraderie between the judges,” says Bland.

Mustang Makeover competitors and their horses were judged in three specific categories including conditioning, groundwork and a “horse course”. The 22 competitors were then narrowed down to 11 finalists which performed in a freestyle competition.

Scores in the finals were based on points awarded from both technical and artistic merit. Bland, along with McNabb, Garland and Donna Snyder-Smith, had a difficult decision in the end as a tie was determined and a battle of the sexes ensued.

Katherine Cumberland of Santa Maria, California rode her Mustang, Wendy, in a tie-breaker against Joel Sheridan of Acton, California on his mare, Lilly Bet. While Sheridan won over the judges and the crowd with his theatrics and artistic content, Cumberland amazed with her style and grace.

With nearly 5,000 spectators in attendance, Bland and her fellow judges awarded first place to Cumberland for her technical skill and outstanding horsemanship.

Providing witty commentary and contestant interviews during the event were 2009 Road to the Horse competitor John Lyons and two-time World’s Greatest Horseman, Russel Dilday.

The same weekend, Lyons was named the 2009 inductee into the Western States Horse Expo Hall of Fame. The Horse Expo Hall of Fame Award was established in 2002 to recognize an individual and/or organization who has made a substantial contribution to the equine industry in the United States.

“I was delighted to be on hand at Johh Lyon’s induction into the Hall of Fame. Nobody deserves that honor more than John. Western States Horse Expo is one of the nation’s top-notch expos and I’d like to thank Miki Cohen for her outstanding hospitality. As far as Extreme Mustang Makeover goes, no one does it like Patti Colbert!” says Bland.

Road to the Horse

Road to the Horse is unlike any other event in the equine or entertainment industry. It is “the original colt starting challenge”. The two-day sold out event matches three of the country’s best horse trainers and clinicians of today against one another as they train unbroken colts to ride in just a few short hours in front of a packed live audience and television cameras. By combining education, edge-of-your-seat suspense, entertainment and the love of the horse, Road to the Horse has been responsible for solidifying the position of today’s horsemanship heroes and launching the careers of tomorrow’s hottest new stars. In the process, the event itself has become a catalyst for the advancement of natural horsemanship. Hosted by Rick Lamb, of RFD-TV’s The Horse Show with Rick Lamb, spectators are guaranteed not only to have a good time, but also to walk away with training knowledge that will improve their relationship with horses.

Road to the Horse is proud to partner with many outstanding companies across the equine industry. For sponsorship opportunities and more information on the 2010 Road to the Horse visit www.roadtothehorse.com or call 325-736-5000.

Referred to as a modern day Roy Rogers, Ken McNabb, nationally known clinician and RFD-TV personality, will once again step onto the floor of the Tennessee Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro, Tennessee for Road to the Horse 2010. While his performance in 2008 did not win him the championship, many people were inspired and won over by his good nature as well as his colt-starting talent and ability.

Born and raised on a working ranch in Cody, Wyoming, McNabb is the embodiment of the word “cowboy”. Being a true cowboy, big dreams were on his horizon, even at a young age.

“I always knew I wanted to help people, but I didn’t know how I was going to accomplish it. I went to a natural horsemanship clinic when I was 16 and within 15 minutes a light bulb turned on and I knew this was it. From that moment on, I knew it was through natural horsemanship and teaching that I would make a difference for people and their horses,” says McNabb.

Since realizing his calling, McNabb has been changing people’s lives through his weekly television show, instruction of clinics nationwide and special appearances at large expos. Whether it is working young colts, dragging a calf to the fire or leading guests on a week-long mountain vacation trail ride, McNabb puts his whole heart into the task at hand.

His participation in Road to the Horse 2008 wowed the audiences and the judges as he made an extremely impressive turn-around with an aggressive colt and received a standing ovation after the obstacle course round.

“I had a tough colt in 2008, but I got him turned around pretty nicely. I’m really excited about the opportunity to compete again at Road to the Horse and show people natural horsemanship techniques that they can bring home to their own horses,” says McNabb.

To learn more about Ken McNabb visit his web site at www.kenmcnabb.com. For more information about Road to the Horse 2010 or to buy your tickets today, visit www.roadtothehorse.com.

Road to the Horse

Road to the Horse is unlike any other event in the equine or entertainment industry. It is “the original colt starting challenge”. The two-day sold out event matches three of the country’s best horse trainers and clinicians of today against one another as they train unbroken colts to ride in just a few short hours in front of a packed live audience and television cameras. By combining education, edge-of-your-seat suspense, entertainment and the love of the horse, Road to the Horse has been responsible for solidifying the position of today’s horsemanship heroes and launching the careers of tomorrow’s hottest new stars. In the process, the event itself has become a catalyst for the advancement of natural horsemanship. Hosted by Rick Lamb, of RFD-TV’s The Horse Show with Rick Lamb, spectators are guaranteed not only to have a good time, but also to walk away with training knowledge that will improve their relationship with horses.

Road to the Horse is proud to partner with many outstanding companies across the equine industry. For sponsorship opportunities and more information on the 2010 Road to the Horse visit www.roadtothehorse.com or call 325-736-5000.

Road to the Horse is excited to announce that the remarkable colt-starting sensation will be returning to its roots back in the “Boro” (Murfreesboro, TN) on March 6-7, 2010. Returning champion Richard Winters and clinicians Craig Cameron and Ken McNabb will go toe to toe at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum for the prestigious honor of being crowned the 2010 Road to the Horse Champion.

As a first time competitor in 2009, Winters traveled across the country from Ojai, California to Franklin, Tennessee in the quest to become champion. Succeeding in his mission, Winters performed with flying colors and wowed the audience with his natural horsemanship knowledge and talent.

No newcomer to natural horsemanship or Road to the Horse, clinician Craig Cameron will also be vying for the much coveted title. The witty and entertaining Cameron, of Bluff Dale, Texas says he is thrilled to return to Road to the Horse.

Ken McNabb, a return competitor from 2008, will bring his style of colt-starting into the Road to the Horse arena. Often likened to a modern day Roy Rogers, McNabb carries a strong passion and commitment to improving people’s lives through natural horsemanship.

Road to the Horse owner and producer Tootie Bland has carefully chosen each competitor. While trainers and clinicians from across the country apply to compete in this career advancing competition, only the elite are chosen.

Tickets will go on sale Monday, May 11^th, 2009 at 9 am Central time and can be purchased on the Road to the Horse web site or by calling 877-772-5425. Stay connected with up-to-date news and information by visiting www.roadtothehorse.com.

Road to the Horse

Road to the Horse is unlike any other event in the equine or entertainment industry. It is “the original colt starting challenge”. The two-day event matches three of the country’s best horse trainers and clinicians of today against one another as they train unbroken colts to ride in just a few short hours in front of a packed live audience and television cameras. By combining education, edge-of-your-seat suspense, entertainment and the love of the horse, Road to the Horse has been responsible for solidifying the position of today’s horsemanship heroes and launching the careers of tomorrow’s hottest new stars. In the process, the event itself has become a catalyst for the advancement of natural horsemanship. Hosted by Rick Lamb, of RFD-TV’s The Horse Show with Rick Lamb, spectators are guaranteed not only to have a good time, but also to walk away with training knowledge that will improve their relationship with horses.

Road to the Horse is proud to partner with many outstanding companies across the equine industry. For sponsorship opportunities and more information on the 2010 Road to the Horse visit www.roadtothehorse.com or call 325-736-5000.

Dedicated to the sport of rodeo and the recognition of Texas’ finest contributors to that sport, the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame is home to some of the best cowboys and cowgirls in the Lone Star State. Each year, the Hall holds an induction ceremony to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of men and women across the state.

The 2009 Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame induction ceremony included the induction of the late Steven “Dooky” Bland, co-founder of Road to the Horse. There to accept the honor of this award was his wife, Tootie Bland.

As one of the top all-around cowboys to come out of Texas, Bland competed in both timed and roughstock events. Winning his first saddle at the age of five, he went on to championships in junior, college and professional rodeo.

The Bland name has long been associated with rodeo. The late R.L. Bland, Steven’s father, was instrumental in establishing the Lone Star Circuit Finals, now known as the Texas Circuit Finals. Together with his wife Rosemary, he raised a family of outstanding rodeo cowboys and cowgirls.

R.L. and Rosemary Bland of Trent, Texas, were also inducted to the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame as the 2009 Rodeo Couple. Only one couple was chosen for the 2009 induction and it is evident by their accomplishments why this couple will forever be remembered as outstanding contributors to the sport of rodeo in Texas.

Find out more about the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame at www.trchf.com.

Sold-out for the fourth consecutive year, Road to the Horse in Franklin, Tennessee will open the doors to the public free of charge for the Wahl Shopping Extravaganza on March 13 from 3-7 pm (CDT). As a kick-off to the legendary colt-starting competition that combines education with entertainment, around 100 vendors will be bringing everything from apparel to tack and home décor to equine health products.

Sure to top all previous years, the free Shopping Extravaganza will offer the public the opportunity to meet competitors John Lyons, Tommy Garland and Richard Winters. Included in this meet and greet will be the opportunity to take photos and autographs from each clinician and the future 2009 Road to the Horse Champion.

“Road to the Horse listens to its fans suggestions and this year we are bringing in a Texas Style BBQ, Famous Daves, to round out the experience of great food, great shopping and the who’s who of the clinician world all on the arena floor during the Wahl Shopping Extravaganza. This year we’ll have something for every horse lover. Whether you need to buy a new saddle or are looking for some new instructional DVDs, we’ll have a little bit of everything for you to choose from with some really new and exciting vendors that are sure to catch your interest.,” says Tootie Bland, Road to the Horse owner and producer.

Road to the Horse

Road to the Horse is unlike any other event in the equine or entertainment industry. It is “the original colt starting challenge”. The two-day sold out event matches the absolute best horse trainers and clinicians of today against one another as they train unbroken colts to ride in just a few short hours in front of a packed live audience and television cameras. By combining education, edge-of-your-seat suspense, entertainment and the love of the horse, Road to the Horse has been responsible for solidifying the position of today’s horsemanship heros and launching the careers of tomorrow’s hottest new stars. In the process, the event itself has become a shining star of horse industry. Hosted by Rick Lamb, of RFD-TV’s The Horse Show with Rick Lamb, spectators are guaranteed not only to have a good time, but also to walk away with training knowledge that will improve their relationship with horses.

Road to the Horse is proud to partner with many outstanding companies including Horse & Rider, Mustang Makeover, Cinch, Cruel Girl, Gist Silversmiths, ABI Equine and John Deere . For more information on the 2009 Road to the Horse judges or to purchase your 2009 tickets, visit www.roadtothehorse.com or call 325-736-5000. For a press credentials request form, email press@roadtothehorse.com.

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