Road to the Horse

Craig Cameron of Bluff Dale, TX was crowned the 2010 World Champion of Colt-Starting in Murfreesboro, TN March 7, 2010. Richard Winters, Cameron and Ken McNabb competed for the coveted title in a display of supreme horsemanship and at the end of the day, Cameron, known as the original cowboy clinician, came out the winner of the seven year old event which gives three top clinicians a little over three hours over two days to gentle three unbroken colts using their own styles of natural horsemanship.

When clinicians were allowed to pick their horses on Saturday, Cameron surprised everyone by picking a small 2007 AQHA palomino gelding, WR Shining Alamo.

“He was the little ragamuffin of the remuda, but he was low-headed, curious and brave and I was lucky to have him. I didn’t think the first day he was such a good choice in the first half hour, but in the end, he made me use all of my skills and gave me a lot,” said Cameron.

In announcing the winner, Darrell Dodds publisher of Western Horseman (who is a presenting sponsor of the event), joked that as in so many things, at Road to the Horse, the third time was the charm. Cameron, who has competed at Road to the Horse twice before says his victory couldn’t taste any sweeter.

“Every time I’ve competed at Road to the Horse, I’ve left a piece of my heart in the arena. Now I’m getting a little bit of that back. I truly believe winning Road to the Horse is going to change my life. I am 61 years old and now I am a world champion and no-one can ever take that away from me. This may be the best day of my life,” said Cameron.

Road to the Horse producer Tootie Bland said that Cameron’s win carried special meaning for her. “Craig and my late husband Steven were very close and it would just mean the world to him to see Craig win this,” she said tearfully.

The colts gave nothing for free and all three clinicians experienced road blocks along the way, but each competitor said they were pleased with the heart and effort their colts put forth.

Cameron and his colt, who he had nicknamed Troubadour after his favorite George Strait song entered the obstacle course with the goal to “make a little music together”. The pair accomplished that goal in spades. As the equine champion of the 2010 event, this AQHA registered colt received The Traveler award from the American Quarter Horse Association, honoring his willing nature.

The second to choose his colt after Cameron, McNabb chose a gray colt WR Turning Diamonds, which he would later nickname Jerry on the suggestion of a fan. “A lady walked up to me and said you need to name that colt Jericho, because he’s going to see the light in the end,” said McNabb, chuckling. Though the colt was nervous and had head-shyness issues, McNabb was pleased with his progress enough to purchase the colt and said he will use him for ranch work and travel with him over the next year and then sell him at the annual Diamond-McNabb 2011 ranch gelding sale in Douglas, WY.

Winters chose a sorrel colt, WR Shiners Flashback. In a surprise move, Winters’ wife bought the gelding for him during the second round pen session – ironically right before the colt started a two-lap-around-the-round-pen bucking spree, which Winters quickly brought under control.

Though all the horses made slow progress on day one, the clinicians made progress with their colts in leaps and bounds in round two on Sunday and it was clear going into the freestyle competition the race would be close.

Each competitor showcased their colt adeptly through the required rail work and obstacle course. Adding to the “you-never-know-what-they’ll-come-up-with-next” nature of the event, the clinicians had to navigate a surprise obstacle which turned out to be a person sitting in a chair wearing a gorilla costume. Surprisingly, all three colts felt pretty comfortable with the fake ape and breezed through the unusual obstacle without drama.

After completing the required rail work and obstacles, each clinician had time to present a freestyle that they felt best encompassed their colt’s unique talents and accomplishments over the two short days. Cameron rode to his colt’s namesake song, and at one point purposefully dropped the reins at a canter and did his own king of the world move horseback with arms outstretched. McNabb emphasized their colt’s ability to move out in the large arena – hitting a dead run with his colt and bringing him back calmly at the end. Winters once again tracked a calf during his freestyle to, as he said “to give his horse a job”.

Jody Wood, owner of Wood Ranch in Heber Springs, Arkansas said he was honored to have provided the remuda for the second time and that he was pleased with how all three clinicians worked with the horses. Likewise, the clinicians were ebullient in their praise for the job Wood and the AQHA had done in providing the remuda.

“Mr. Wood really has something to be proud of. These are feely horses that can move out and do a job,” said McNabb.

Judging the event for themselves the first time at the 2010 event, Road to the Horse fans had the opportunity to cast their vote for who they thought should win the event. Combined with the expert opinion of judges Jack Brainard, Toni Warvell, Marian Buehler, James Gholson and Eitan Beth-Halachmy, the text message votes compiled from attendees determined Cameron as the 2010 champion.

Besides the coveted title of Road to the Horse 2010 Champion, Cameron received a check for $10,000 from Road to the Horse producer Tootie Bland, a memorial Steven “Dookie” Bland trophy saddle provided by Martin Saddlery featuring conchos by Gist Silversmiths, a handcrafted Road to the Horse buckle by Gist Silversmiths, a CSI saddle pad, and an original “Blue Horse” painting by artist Henry Patton which was featured as the cover image of the event’s souvenir program.

In the end however, aside from the title, prizes and attention, Cameron was quick to say that all of the men were leaving the event with strong bonds, not only with the horses, but also with the fans and one another.
“You won’t find a bigger gentleman that Richard Winters and you won’t find someone with a bigger heart than Ken McNabb. They impressed me with not only their horsemanship but also their demeanor. I would do anything for these guys and will always be close to them, it’s a cowboy brotherhood that we’ll always carry with us,” said Cameron.

The Warvell Family - based in Weatherford, Texas has performed in almost every major American city, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Japan, Brazil, England, Singapore and even Kuwait. Their spectacular acts have been the highlight of PRCA Rodeos, Fairs and Wild West Shows.

Jim and Jan Warvell along with daughters Toni and Sonna, kept audiences thrilled with acts featuring Roman Riding, Trick Riding, Trick Roping, Comedy Routines and Dancing Horses. One of the most spectacular acts featured Jan riding a beautiful white horse at liberty without a bridle or saddle. Trained by Jim Warvell, ‘White Feather’ and Jan would jump a white Convertible car in the arena in front of a spellbound audience.

Today, 2009, finds the Warvells still active in the horse business. Jim and Jan are owners and trainers of race horses, Toni is active in cutting, training and judging Equine events and since the 1992 Euro Disney opening, Sonna has had the starring role as ‘Annie Oakley’ in ‘Le Legende de Buffalo Bill’, Disney’s largest dinner show located in Paris, France.

With multiple Grammy nominations and music centered around her love for horses, Mary Ann Kennedy is a perfect fit for Road to the Horse. Performing at the World Championship of Colt-Starting for the first time, Kennedy will sing the National anthem on March 6-7 at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro, TN.

Dedicated to natural horsemanship, Kennedy’s music collection is full of songs about animals that have touched her life. Written specifically for horse lovers, Kennedy says there is only one way to experience her music because there is no format, precedent or category for it.

“Ride to it…Listen to it…Sing along! This is indeed our music. It’s music from the heart about horses and the animals we love,” says Kennedy.

In addition to singing the National Anthem during the opening ceremonies, Kennedy will make a special appearance for fans during the Free Wahl Shopping Extravaganza from 3pm – 7pm on March 5. She will be available to sign autographs alongside the 2010 competitors: Richard Winters, Craig Cameron and Ken McNabb.

Kennedy will also perform music from her albums, “The Rhythm of the Ride”, “The Trail Less Traveled”, “Hoofbeats, Heartbeats & Wings” and “Who Saved Who”. These CDs will be available for purchase at the Road to the Horse merchandise booth for those spectators wanting to bring Kennedy’s unique musical stylings home with them.

For more information on Mary Ann Kennedy, visit her web site at www.maryannkennedy.com.

Road to the Horse has announced that attendees at the 2010 World Championship of Colt-Starting will have the chance to win two lifetime Premiere Tickets with VIP Suite Passes or a lifetime DVD for each year’s competition. Randomly chosen based on seat numbers, two lucky fans will receive these priceless gifts.

Each drawing will be separate, with one winner receiving lifetime tickets and one winner receiving lifetime DVDs.

“Road to the Horse is really excited to be doing this give-away. The tickets can be given to friends or family by the winner, should the winner not be able to attend in a particular year. You really can’t put a value on this great gift because the entertainment and knowledge that can be gained is truly priceless,” says Tootie Bland, owner and producer of Road to the Horse.

The winner will be drawn on Sunday, March 7 before the final obstacle course and must have their ticket on hand with seat number visible. Announcing the winner will be Road to the Horse official feed sponsor, Nutrena.

“This is a gift that any Road to the Horse fan will be thrilled to receive. We are honored to be able to announce the winner of the lifetime tickets and DVDs,” says Nathan Hillis of Nutrena.

A limited number of tickets are still available for Road to the Horse 2010, but they’re going fast! To buy your tickets today, visit www.roadtothehorse.com or call 1-877-772-5425.

The American Quarter Horse has long been a symbol of the American West and the spirit of the cowboy. The 2010 Road to the Horse Remuda, sponsored by the American Quarter Horse Association, will be brought to you by Wood Ranch of Heber Springs, Arkansas who will bringing ten outstanding three-year-old colts for the World Championship of Colt-Starting on March 6-7, 2010 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Raising Quarter Horses since 1956, the 190-year-old Wood Ranch breeds around 100 mares each year, many from WT Waggoner Estate, Four Sixes Ranch, Haythorn and the RA Brown Ranch. With an excellent all-around breeding program, Wood Ranch owner Jody Wood says that it was easy for him to hand-pick the geldings for Road to the Horse.

Breeding AQHA, National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) and National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) money earners by sires with true-blue bloodlines, Wood Ranch has grown a reputation for performance horses that go above and beyond expectation.

Contrary to normal management practices, Wood has let the remuda remain as untouched as possible. In order to meet Road to the Horse requirements, the ten colts were gelded as yearlings and turned out, with the exception of necessary medical handling.

“Generally we start training on all our horses when they are two-year-olds but for Road to the Horse we let them continue to grow and mature for another year. That extra year ensures that they are physically and mentally ready to participate in the competition,” says Wood.

Having provided the horses for Road to the Horse in 2008, Wood is no greenhorn when it comes to preparing a remuda. Feeding schedules, safety precautions and transportation to the event are all aspects that must be carefully planned and executed.

With the help of Nutrena, the official feed sponsor of Road to the Horse, Wood has the horses on a schedule that will prepare them to look and feel their best for the 2010 event. Wood has fed SafeChoice, by Nutrena, since 2007 when he was preparing to supply the remuda for 2008.

“Nutrena was the feed sponsor the first year that provided horses for Road to the Horse. Since then we have come to depend on the Nutrena’s nutritional consistency. Our horses do extremely well on SafeChoice. It keeps them in excellent shape,” says Wood.

Wood will also be working with Road to the Horse Boss Wrangler Adam Tarpley and round pen sponsor WW Livestock Manufacturing. While at the event, they will design a handling system that will provide the utmost safety precautions to ensure the well-being of each colt throughout the event.

Wood Ranch will have a booth at Road to the Horse where spectators can learn more about the ranch and their horses. To learn more before the event, visit www.woodranchquarterhorses.com.