Colt starting is never easy….. or is it? When you put three extraordinary trainers together for three days, with three young un-started horses at the 2011 Equine Extravaganza Celebrity Trainer Challenge it sure looked easy! Tommy Garland, Chase Dodd, and Brock Griffith made the challenging look effortless, and the impossible achievable.
Celebrity trainers hand selected
“These three ‘celebrity’ trainers were hand selected based on previous victories in colt starting competitions, but more importantly, they were selected based on their exceptional training styles, stellar reputations, and consummate professionalism,” said Equine Extravaganza’s Program Director Rachael O’Hara. “And in addition we knew Tommy, Chase, and Brock would keep the crowd on the edge of their seats.”
All three trainers exceeded crowd expectations, but when it was all said and done, one trainer emerged as the ultimate winner: Tommy Garland.
Tommy competed in and won his first colt starting competition at Equine Extravaganza’s inaugural Trainer Challenge in 2006. From there he went on to compete in the prestigious Road to the Horse colt starting competition in Murphysboro, TN. This was a return to where it began, and Tommy didn’t disappoint his fans.
On Friday Nov. 4th, when Tommy first met his young equine partner and led him from the stall to the round pen that they would call home for the three training sessions, Tommy and the young gelding sized each other up. “He was blowing and snorting as we walked into the arena,” said Tommy. “I thought ‘this guy is pretty nervous’ and he gave every indication that he could be on the verge of an impending explosion.”
But in true Natural Horsemanship fashion Tommy quickly gained the attention, and ultimately the trust, of his young horse as the real work began. Working to establish forward movement at his direction, Tommy’s horse was soon moving out on command or standing perfectly still at Tommy’s direction.
The end of day one saw a saddled horse with Tommy quietly on his back. By day three Tommy’s horse was standing unflinching as whips were cracked about his head and tarps were draped over his hindquarters while Tommy rode him quietly around the arena.
The final obstacle course challenge on Sunday revealed a willing mount crossing obstacles, nudging a giant ball around the arena, getting correct leads at the canter, and offering his rider complete cooperation.
Though Tommy emerged victorious, Chase Dodd and Brock Griffith gave the champion a true run for his money! Both Chase and Brock achieved exceptional results with their mounts as well, exhibiting willing and trusting horses complying with their respective trainer’s commands.
Each trainer presented a unique style, and each solicited total cooperation with from their mounts. “It was a close and thrilling race,” O’Hara said.
“The final day of the competition is always tough,” said event organizer Vicki O’Hara.” Though one trainer emerges as the winner, they are all three truly winners by anyone’s standards.” We could not be more pleased with the performance of all three professionals,” O’Hara said.
Challenge winner prizes awarded
This year’s Challenge winner received a prize of $1,000.00 from Presenting Sponsor Guardian Bedding and an exquisitely crafted quality built saddle from Circle Y Saddles and Champion Saddlery. Each contestant received a beautifully fashioned Spirit Horse sculpture from Mountain Feather Originals.
About Equine Extravaganza
Equine Extravaganza®, a production of Maryland-based Moonlark, Inc., is a comprehensive, all-breed, all-discipline horse expo, and is one of the largest of its kind on the East Coast. The eighth annual event will be held Nov. 2-4, 2012 at the Meadow Event Park in Doswell, Virginia, and will feature hundreds of the country’s top equine vendors, sponsors, clinicians, performers and professionals.
It’s not just an expo, it’s an extravaganza!