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, Bob Moorhouse, Jack Brainard, Toni Warvell and Marian Buehler 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.

Tickets to the event are selling fast! To secure your spot as an audience judge visit www.roadtothehorse.com or call 877-772-5425 to purchase your tickets. Ticket prices start at just $58 per person and make a great holiday gift idea.

Road to the Horse

Road to the Horse, the World Championship of Colt-Starting is unlike any other event in the equine or entertainment industry. 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 including Road to the Horse presenting sponsor, Western Horseman and strategic partner AQHA along with Nutrena, Quarter Horse News, Cinch/Cruel Girl, Horses Magazine, Martin Saddlery, Wahl Clipper, Gist Silversmiths, John’s Ariat Country, Rockin’ J Horse Stalls, CSI Saddlepads, Horsecity.com, Extreme Mustang Makeover, WW Livestock, Wick Buildings, Hoofbeats Magazine, Horse South Magazine, Salt Block Gazette and Horsemen’s Roundup. For sponsorship opportunities and more information on the 2010 Road to the Horse visit www.roadtothehorse.com or call 325-736-5000.