Road to the Horse 2008

American Cowboy Magazine's Exclusive Online Coverage
by Lisa Rohner Schafer

February 27, 2008, 4:00 p.m.

What to expect

	To hear audio interviews with each of the trainers, click above.

The 2008 Road to the Horse colt-starting contest is set to kick off March 1, and this fan is counting the hours. It is arguably the largest and most prestigious competition of its kind, pitting some of the country's top trainers against each other in a challenge that pushes their horsemanship skills to the limit.

In a nutshell, the trainers have a total of three hours of round pen time over two days in which to prepare virtually untouched colts to be ridden through an obstacle course. In addition to dragging a log, crossing a tarp, weaving through poles, and going over a jump, the trainers are expected to pick up all four feet, mount and dismount, walk, trot and canter in both directions and back up. I'm sure I've left things out, but you get the idea — those colts will be given every opportunity to show what their trainers have accomplished with them.

Then, if they have any of the allotted 45 minutes left,the trainers can try to wow the judges with a freestyle performance. I'm of the mind that you see the greatest differences in the trainers' personalities and training philosophies most clearly in the freestyle portion. Last year, for instance, Chris Cox stuck to his practical, straight-forward style and performed basic maneuvers like rollbacks and loping on a loose rein. "I'm not fancy," he told the crowd, "but I am practical."

Contrast that with Clinton "I've-never-met-a-noisemaker-I-didn't-like" Anderson and his high-energy finale in which he did some cowboy mounted shooting, stood on his horse's back while he buzzed a chainsaw and cracked a bull whip. For her part, Stacy Westfall showed her horse's calmness by clipping its ears and nose.

That was quite a show, headlining Anderson, who has won the event twice, Westfall who won in 2007 and the challenger and eventual new champion, Cox. Which brings us to this year's event and the trainers we'll see. I have to admit that at the end of last year's challenge, I was wondering what producer Tootie Bland could possible do to build interest this year. And I've got to hand it to her because she's done it. First off there's a "mystery contestant" who apparently has an already well-earned reputation in colt starting. He or she will be revealed at the autograph session at 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 29.

Looking beyond the arena of what is considered "natural horsemanship," Bland has invited Arabian show horse trainer Tommy Garland to compete. Winner of numerous World Championships in western pleasure classes, Garland specializes in young horses. He expects the crowd will see something quite different in his round pen than what they're likely to see in the other three.

Ken McNabb was one of the first Lyons certified trainers, so he's clearly from the natural horsemanship tradition. While he thinks his methods might resemble Cox' in the round pen, he expects he'll approach the freestyle segment differently.

And Bland didn't miss a beat in bringing on rodeo cowboy legend Larry Mahan to add a little color to the commentary. As one who has had the pleasure of seeing Mahan "on stage" I can only say the crowd is in for a treat.

As for the horses, this year they hail from the Wood Ranch in Heber Springs, Arkansas. For those of us who like a little color, this remuda will be a treat. Unlike the last couple of years, instead of sorrels and maybe a brown, this herd will be sprinkled with roans and grays.

The event sold out long ago, but you can still watch the live stream hosted by HorseCity.com. Just click here and you'll find all the information you'll need.

Be sure to check back here. I'll be posting new articles, photos and videos as the event unfolds.

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