Road to the Horse is the World Championship of Colt-Starting.

Working with the husband who always believed she could do anything, Tootie Bailey Bland manifested her idea and made it part of horsemanship history. Here's the story of how it all started . . .
Written and Photographed by Heidi Nyland.

"Can it work? Can you possibly take an un-started, saddle age colt and train him in the morning, then work cattle with him in the afternoon?"

"How can we find out for sure?"

"Well, Darlin', there's only one way to find out.."

Conversation at Steven and Tootie Blands' ranch-house dinner table meant sharing ideas and frequent belly laughs. Not willing to rest a moment, the pair was full of energy for new projects.

They created scenes and stories and trained horses how to act when Hollywood cameras rolled. At home, they spent hours talking and imagining what could be as they unwound from 14-hour days on set and from working cattle on their expansive Noodle, Texas 2T Ranch.

What really could come from what Tootie first called a "hair-brained" idea to ask horse trainers to compete? As the couple chatted more, they wondered what would happen if three horse whisperers trained wild colts at one time-all to test the training called "natural horsemanship."

The term "natural horsemanship" was new to Steven and Tootie in 2000, but the idea was well tested. Steven had a gift for working with animals-gently asking them to do whatever a movie script called for. His horses stood still while bombs exploded and stayed in place when actors jerked on their reins; they trusted Steven and he trusted them. The cowboy could walk to the couple's closest pasture to see seven horses run up to greet him. Tootie believed in her husband-in his horsemanship and in his judgment. Both Steven and Tootie had faith in the horses they loved and wanted to see if there was a way to get the attention of the masses.

"I just believed that if Steven said we could do something, we could," Tootie says with her usual up-beat tone and can-do attitude. "No one ever told us we couldn't."

Steven and Tootie took a leap of faith-believing their idea into reality and creating the first Road to the Horse competition in Fort Worth, Texas, 2003. After Steven's unexpected death just two years later, RTTH Owner/Producer Tootie Bland continues the event-and the ranch-fulfilling the legacy for the man who always believed in her.

"When you're married to a great man, you have a responsibility to work to be great yourself," Tootie says. "I want to keep everything that he worked for alive-I want to keep the best cattle, put on the best event and keep alive all that he built and that we had together," Tootie says. "It's all for him. I love him and I miss him."

Though she won't admit it, Tootie is responsible for much of the RTTH legacy herself. It was her Hollywood background that prompted Steven to train animals for film. They were a balanced pair-always inspired and surprised by one another.

"It was surprising to realize there was a term for what Steven had always done by instinct," Tootie says of Steven's natural horsemanship talents. "Everyone thought he was a damn good cowboy. The animals naturally loved him. As we talked more about this crazy idea to train horses in one day, we found out so much more about 'natural horsemanship.' It sure wasn't new, but it was new to us."

Having just finished work on Grand Champion (grand-championthemovie.com, a film with Julia Roberts and George Strait), Steven was intrigued by animal-training methods. He had successfully sorted through 60 show quality steer to find the five he trained for the role of "Hokey"-the orphaned calf raised by a young boy and named grand champion.

"I produced the movie and did stunts and Steven worked as an actor, stunt man and was responsible for training everything-chickens, the steers, the horses, and even a horny toad," Tootie remembers. "Steven 'desensitized' all the animals and made sure they weren't afraid of what they'd hear and see during filming. He didn't know the term 'desensitize' at the time, but he knew how to do it.

"He trained the animals for some challenging scenes with children who had never been around animals before-one steer would lay down on command in a fast-moving truck, "acting" sick for a scene. That's not a normal behavior, but the steer would do it because he trusted Steven-who was in the cab talking to him the whole time. Steven also had to make sure the animals knew what to do when the actors didn't. Safety had to be paramount for the animals and the child actors."

Knowing animals trained with kind, natural techniques were successful was just one part of planning the documentary and creating the RTTH format. Tootie's personality- always "pushing the bar," as she often says-helped the couple devise the simultaneous, three-ring competition.

"The format we came up with-having three horse trainers working at once, then tested with the obstacle course- was going to show if and how well the work could be done," Tootie says. "One clinician wasn't enough. Coming from the rodeo and film background I knew if I could entertain the audiences, I could educate them, too. We set it up to see if it would work."

That's right, Tootie said the 2003 Road to the Horse event and the original documentary filming was set up to "see if it would work." It wasn't a get-rich-quick scheme or even a sure bet. They created a new word-competitive horsemanship-to add to the equine vernacular and set off to see if the new term would stick. And although Steven and Tootie had the perfect backgrounds and experience to make the RTTH event a success- both grew up with horses, were active in rodeo, had the creative talents demanded on Hollywood sets, and knew how to organize crews-the first event was still a gamble.

"It was a huge risk," Tootie says emphatically. "Who back then would believe that two people from Noodle, Texas could sell over 6,000 tickets to this new thing called 'competitive horsemanship.' No one knew what that was. We didn't even know any of the clinicians very well. What we did know was that if you laid the proper foundation, there could be trust between man and horse and the job could be accomplished."

But Steven and Tootie did have great resources, pertinent pasts, and creative, inspiring personalities. Growing up In California's horse country, Tootie was on a horse by age four, hitting the show circuit by her teens, and stepping into the rodeo scene and into roles as a movie stuntwoman soon after college.

Production was a logical next step for this creative, adventure- seeking, energetic soul. She's created scenes, produced, wrangled and performed stunts for such Hollywood hits as Grand Champion, All the Pretty Horses, The Good Old Boys, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, and many more.

"What better way to make a living than to combine the things I love-a life with animals, creating memories for audiences, and getting to work with the man I love; It pulls it all together," Tootie says. "I've always been interested in creation and making ideas come to life-producing something that motivates people and pulls them in-something that inspires them. Watch a great love story and fall more in love with your husband. Watch Road to the Horse and fall in love with your horse again."

The 2003 RTTH made believers of the Blands and started a buzz around the horse industry. Audience members at the 2000-seat Fort Worth venue were ready for more after watching Josh Lyons, Curt Pate and ultimate-winner Clinton Anderson compete for the first title. The competition was filmed moment by moment as Anderson stepped up on his colt's back and cracked a whip as the crowd watched in amazement. After three hours' training, the once bronky colt was relaxed, calm and a partner.

"He amazed us all," Tootie says. "That was a turning point for me. We proved the format worked and that moment moved us from a documentary film to a live event."

Total strangers called Steven and Tootie at home to ask where the next event would be.

"We hadn't thought about more people wanting to see the event live, Tootie says. "Then the editor of Horse & Rider told us we'd have a sponsorship if we would keep the event going. It was another leap of faith to produce a much bigger event in a huge coliseum. But without a certain amount of risk and a leap of faith, you won't get anywhere."

"Steven felt strongly that the idea was good and it needed to go on," Tootie says. "It's about getting the message of natural horsemanship out. We were believers. Believing in the event meant focusing time on the live production. Instead of working on movies, we brought the movie production to the event," Tootie says. "I wasn't willing to let go of the creative part of film making. I also felt strongly that if you couldn't get to our event live, I was going to make it available to you on video-and I had a 30-year career behind me to make that happen."

Now, RTTH is a filmed event-producing a multi-disk DVD documentary each year-and a sell-out, live production. Tootie produces both the live event and the Hollywood caliber film crew.

"We run seven cameras for five days-we shoot everything from the time we first arrive on site," Tootie explains. "I'm probably nuts for producing the event and the filming, but that's the fun part for me."

The entire event is created and produced from a ranch an hour out of Abilene. RTTH production is balanced carefully with duties demanded at a full working ranch in Texas- stocked with cattle and home to eight horses, two cow dogs, and an assortment of barn cats.

"I can look up from work and see my horses run by on their way out of the barn," Tootie says. "Horses are in my heart. It's a gift to watch them run across the open Texas pasture."

Each day, Tootie wakes at about 5:30 a.m. to feed cattle, check her hay fields and head to her at-home office to work on RTTH current business. Each event is a year in the making- carefully coordinating film editing, graphic production, distribution, ticket sales, clinicians' contracts, advertising, sponsorships, food selection, vendors, customer service, entertainment bookings, horse selection, on-site logistics, merchandise ordering, the list goes on. Most nights, she's up past 11:00 p.m., finishing work and running out to check the animals one last time.

"When we started in 2003, it was just Steven and myself doing it all," Tootie remembers. "We did the work of 60 with a skeleton crew of two. Now, we have a crew of over 150 working at the event and at least 20 working throughout the year."

The Blands' many friends have signed on to help and often stop by the ranch to help. Steven's longtime friend, Cirilo Alaniz helps Tootie with all of the ranch work in addition to his full-time job. "City" and Tootie work the ranch together and without outside help.

"If anything is needed, my friends jump in to help," Tootie says. "That's a testament to the great friends Steven and I have had. They're all willing help and most don't even own horses." No matter how many friends gather, Tootie will never replace her ultimate co-producer. As she works diligently to prepare each year's RTTH competition, she looks out over her fields, sees Steven's lovingly trained horses and remembers the nights spent imagining the competition you're about to see.

"I felt like I could do anything when I was with Steven," Tootie remembers with a smile. "Really, he was just a cowboy and I'm just a cowgirl. But when you have someone who believes in you, you can't fail. Steven said we were going to make Road to the Horse happen and we did-and I keep that promise. So go for your biggest love. You can have it if you believe it's there."

About Steven "Dooky" Bland

Steven was also an actor, stuntman and animal wrangler on 18 years worth of films. He worked on many A-actor movies as well as notable recent works such as The Alamo and Secondhand Lions. His successful rodeo career made him a natural for the production work.

Early in his career, the PRCA presented Steven with the Linderman Award-the title reserved for the best all-around cowboy.

In memory of this great man, his wife and co-founder, Tootie Bland, awards a saddle designed by Martin Saddlery and accented with conchos from Gist Silversmiths to each Road to the Horse winner. This memorial saddle is a tradition that started in 2005 and features conchos engraved with "Steven 'Dooky' Bland Memorial Award" embedded with stars and rubies.

Being a calf roper, steer wrestler, team roper, steer tripper, bareback rider, bull rider, all-around champion and seven event man, a saddle was a natural way to remember Steven. Winning 60 saddles before he turned 20-years-old, trophy saddles were a thing he knew a lot about.

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. There to accept the honor of this award was his wife, Tootie Bland.