Road to the Horse

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.

Always pushing the envelope and wowing the industry with her groundbreaking ideas, Road to the Horse Producer Tootie Bland has done it again by pioneering an entirely new concept in the selection of the 2010 Road to the Horse World Champion of Colt-Starting. Spectators at the March 6-7, 2010 event in Murfreesboro, TN will be pulled into the action by voting for the competitor they believe has best earned the title of Road to the Horse Champion. These spectator votes will be combined with the expert opinions of the official Road to the Horse judges to determine the 2010 Champion.

Like judging any top level competition, many elements must be considered in the determination of the next champion. Included in the 2010 Souvenir Program will be a break-down of judged elements for each segment of the competition so that spectators can join in on the excitement of choosing the next heir to the Road to the Horse throne.

Selected due to their experience and expertise in the equine industry, five official judges will score competitors Richard Winters, Craig Cameron and Ken McNabb during the two days of competition.

Returning to the arena floor,  Jack Brainard, Toni Warvell, Marian Buehler and James Gholson will judge along-side Road to the Horse newcomer Eitan Beth-Halachmy. Each of the official judges lends a unique perspective the evaluation of the competition thanks to their divergent experience in the ranch horse, rodeo, reining, natural horsemanship, cutting, reined cowhorse, dressage, show jumping and western pleasure facets of the horse industry.

“What sets Road to the Horse apart is not only the quality of our competitors, colts and judges, but the education level of our audience. While industry leaders grace the arena floor as our official judges, sitting in our stands we have horsemen and women with hundreds of thousands of years of horse experience combined. It is only natural that we tap into that great resource and at the same time give our audience the respect they are due in being a part of the excitement of choosing the next champion! The competitor that wins the 2010 event will not only be winning the title, prestige and honor of being the 2010 World Champion of Colt-Starting, but will also be validated by the opinion of 6,000 horseowners!” says Tootie Bland, owner and producer of Road to the Horse.

Taking over the reins of Road to the Horse Boss Wrangler, Adam Tarpley of Noodle, TX has very large boots to fill at the World Championship of Colt-Starting at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro, TN on March 6-7, 2010. One of the most important positions within Road to the Horse, the Boss Wrangler is the “head honcho” or “el jefe” when it comes to remuda selection, transportation, delivery and general care of the Road to the Horse horses.

“Being the Boss Wrangler for Road to the Horse is an exciting and new experience. It’ll definitely be an adventure. We’re coming up with a solid game plan on how to run things as smoothly as possible so the horses and clinicians will have a great experience,” says Tarpley.

Working with Nutrena, the official feed sponsor of Road to the Horse, Tarpley will help monitor the nutritional needs of the horses. With the help of Nutrena SafeChoice, he will ensure that each colt looks top-notch for the competition and is in the best condition possible.

Also working with round pen sponsor, WW Livestock Systems, the safety of the Road to the Horse remuda will be ensured with the “world’s finest” equine handling equipment. With the assistance of WW representatives, Tarpley will create a system that will guarantee minimum stress while still providing easy handling throughout the competition.

Starting colts since he was fifteen-years-old, Tarpley knows the ins-and-outs of horsemanship as well as the responsibility of caring for livestock. Currently managing Road to the Horse owner and producer Tootie Bland’s 2T Ranch, he was chosen for the position of boss wrangler because of his excellent work ethic, moral and character.

“Adam is a stellar young man who is an excellent horseman and a genuine person. He’s great at what he does and he’s the right man for the right job at the right time,” says Bland.