Road to the Horse Day 1

One of my most favorite parts of Road to the Horse every year is when the clinicians do their introductory rides.
We were not disapointed this year!
Tommy Garland rode a beautiful white arab in probably THE most tricked out show saddle I've ever seen to Brad Paisley's "She's everything to me". It was a beautiful ride. Ken McMabb jumped his horse through a ring of fire! Mike Kevil raised the bar high and quite possibly changed the RTTH logo when he got his horse to stand all 4 feet on a pedastal and then proceded to stand ON HIS HEAD!! ( well, his shoulder but STILL!)Mike's a funny guy. Chris Cox came out on Pepto with no bridle and rode to a montage that included the "Snowy River" theme and "Unchained Melody". It was a gorgeous ride, completely inspiring.
This year the clincians talked a bit during their rides, which seemed different to me.
The competition -

First the remuda was presented and this year, my LORD the horses were just beautiful. Palominos, light buckskins, a bay roan, a jaw dropping grey ... I think even the sorrels were duns.
Tommy chose the #1 horse, one of the light buckskins. Actually, I am not sure on the color because they are so light. Then Ken chose horse #3 - a horse colored like Tommy's, Chris chose a smallish sorrel horse with really unusual face markings. Very cute lil guy!! Mike chose a dappled palomino ... the horses being more colorful really changed things up this year.
The round pens were set and the boys went to work!! It's early to tell but here is a quick run down.
Chris and Tommy saddled and rode their horses. They both got all three gaits ... I am not sure if Tommy got his in both directions. He told me that his colt was a little one sided. Chris described his horse as "threatened" but not fearful and said he'd get over it just fine. Tommy's horse bucked a bit and Chris' liked to kick out in the same spot but rode on through it. Mike didn't saddle his horse, roped him pretty quick in and said his strategy was just to get as much in as he could - where ever possible. He said it was not his goal to ride on the first day.
Ken McNabb has a bit tougher horse ... but the horse is hooked on to him emotionally even if he is fearful and spooky or skittish. Ken told us after the end of this session that if he had it to do over again he would have roped this colt right away.
He admitted that it felt like a pressure cooker in the pen. Mike and Tommy both commented on how its difficult to know from one moment to the next what's going to happen and how to best approach for the colt to understand more easily.

My opinion - this RTTH first day is the most intense one I've been to. All four of these guys have MONSTER work ethic and they never ceased working. Chris and Tommy were laying across the backs of their colts at EXACTLY the same time. It lent to the "heat" of the moment. I asked Chris if he thought the bar had been raised this year ... he didn't think so. I think Chris' work ethic dictates that he totally zones in on his colt and the task at hand. He said he did what was best for his colt at the time ... which knowing Chris ... I don't doubt one bit. But sometimes at RTTH what the crowd and spectators percieve to be happening or not happening is deceptive. There are a lot of finite details that we/ I miss or don't even understand. It's not like watching baseball or football were you can know the game and root for the team. Horse training is so individual ... for the horse ... for the trainer ... for the conditions that even if you are a horse trainer yourself or an expert it's impossible to see everything that these guys are accomplishing in the jam packed hour.

Oh, my party went well. I'll post pics when I get home ... maybe tomorrow sometime. We have tons to go thru. I have to admit I was a bit star struck myself to have in one room ... Larry Mahan, John, Josh and Jody Lyons,Chris, Ken, Mike, Tommy,Miss Tootie too and SO many more. Templeton and Sam sang and were beyond awesome as always!! I sang one song and Ed Dabney recited some cowboy poetry for me.

We had a blast! Missed y'all!

Til later ...
Tess