Tootie Bland Judges Western States Mustang Makeover with McNabb and Garland

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 http://www.roadtothehorse.com/ www.roadtothehorse.com or call 325-736-5000.