Trust The Process

I spent the last four days at the Kentucky Horse Park Alltech Arena in Lexington for the Road To The Horse annual colt-starting competition.  I watched seven top trainers gentle-break and ride untouched 3-year-old American Quarter Horses.  Each focused on their own process of building a partnership through natural horsemanship.  They were judged on communication, trust, effective training and overall horsemanship; rather than just speed, although it was a timed event.  

So much knowledge and many wise reflections have come from numerous elite horse trainers.

Quotes that focus on natural horsemanship will be included throughout this post.  They are a reminder to me of things I want to concentrate on as I go through the process of working with my horses.
Trainers emphasize patience, partnership, and listening to the horse above all else.  Key philosophies center on being a mentor, going slow, and focusing on quiet communication.  






Tik Maynard, winner of the 2025 RTTH said: "We are there to be the guides, the mentors, the leaders, for these horses as they walk in a new land."  

Thursday 3/19 - I picked up Patty before 7am and drove us to Joanne's.  We switched cars and Joanne drove the three of us to Lexington.  

  

We arrived during the lunch time intermission, and Courtney got there a bit later.  We had grabbed a bite to eat, took it to our seats and were watching clinician Ken McNabb, who was a 2024 RTTH Championship competitor.  He is a renowned Wyoming-based clinician and trainer specializing in "natural horsemanship" methods, focusing on building a trusting partnership between horse and rider through clear, gentle communication.  

Next, master horseman and RTTH Wild Card Champion Buster McLaury gave a special round pen demonstration.  



As you can see, many photos I am using are from the RTTH Facebook page.  Courtney also sent me several and I used a few from Patty and Joanne as well.  

Buster McLaury quoted this, which he learned from Ray Hunt: "Listen to the horse; he'll tell you where he needs help."  Meaning, rather than viewing a horse's "difficult" behavior as stubbornness, this approach suggests the horse is trying to tell its handler that it is scared, in pain, or does not understand what is being asked.  

After an intermission (for time to set up four round pens), Round 2 of the Wild Card Challenge started.  We had missed the morning's Wild Card Remuda and Round 1 of the challenge.  These are the seven geldings the contenders had to choose from.

These are the four Wild card competitors, from left to right: Rob Leach, Tiffany McLaury, Sadie Fisher, and Jason Irwin.  



Our seats were in the second row, at the end of the stadium looking towards the stage.  This is actually an internet photo, taken during round one Thursday morning, with Sadie's 'Crack Eyed John,' palomino seen in the nearby round pen at the right.  Tiffany McLaury is working in the round pen on the left, with her selected horse, 'Nasty Metallic.'  

Below is our view of Round 2.  

Jason Irwin is on the left, working with - Its Payday Cowboy.  

Rob Leach is on the right, working with - Nastys Bamcat. 
 

Jason Irwin getting in the saddle.  I was cheering for him, and he was doing well, but his score did not really reflect it.  However, Tiffany McLaury, who's dad Buster (took the Wild Card Championship at Road to the Horse 2025), was her handler; had an unfair advantage, especially since the judges seemed to be a bit biased towards her. 

Below shows the judging criteria for the three sessions for the Wild Card competitors.  

There was some bucking by I think every horse either with saddling, being pushed up into a canter, or when being ridden out of the round pen.  

I recall that Rob Leach was first out of the round pen and he was riding right in front of us.  His horse, Nastys Bamcat, was bucking quite a bit.  


 




Jason was slow to take his horse out of the round pen, but they were better connected when he did.

 

Here is a look at some of the Pitchfork Ranch wranglers, who move the colts in or out of the round pens for the start and at the end of each training session.  

Once the competition was over, we high-tailed it out of the arena and the horse park, to beat traffic.  And soon we were checked in to the Courtyard by Marriott Lexington North.  






Patty stayed with Joanne, who had been up-graded to a suite, so we hung out there every evening before dinner and to watch RTTH highlights and the recording of the live stream, announcing the scores, that we had missed.  

Jason and Rob had done better, but Tiffany had still out-scored them again.  Poor Sadie had struggled, but she was making a connection to her horse.

We finally chose to go to the Tachibana Japanese Restaurant for dinner, which was in walking distance.  It was way more food than I usually eat, and later at night than I usually eat also.  





We got an update from Joe that Cookie (the puppy) was doing fine and the dogs were getting along well.  Joe had also taken the time to give Cookie a bath with the medicated dog soap I had.

Courtney and I went straight up to our room after dinner and I was asleep in no time.

Friday 3/20 - The Marriott had a Bistro where we had a complementary breakfast (order your own) each morning.  It was more food than we could eat.  I hate to waste food, but Courtney had a good point, if you make yourself sick trying to eat it all, it is an even bigger waste.  

The Wild Card Challenge final competition started at 9am so after breakfast, we were on our way to the Alltech Arena, just a little after 8:00.  This years RTTH theme, Legends in the Making (in Medieval times) was embraced throughout the event.  Equine entertainers, educational clinics, and live demonstrations; were all carefully selected to inspire, educate and celebrate the timeless partnership between horse and rider.

The knight on this huge horse had his hands full.




Part of The Wranglers drill team was also out front for photo opps. 
 







We got to our seats and settled in for three hours of the Wild Card competition.  





The components of what the competitors had to do with their horse during their 20 minute round pen time, were displayed on the Jumbotron.  






And then they had 35 more minutes to accomplish these other tasks outside the round pen.  

  

All of these things were to be executed after the handlers have only been training their colt for two hours and 15 minutes... which is amazing.

Sadie went first with her horse because she was in last place.  

  

She did very well and her horse progressed nicely, but she ran out of time to complete all the tasks.  She was very proud of her horse, who had tried so hard.  





Jason was next with his horse, Its Payday Cowboy.  He also made progress, but like Sadie, wasn't able to get all the components done.  Later he admitted that he might have pushed a little too hard a few times, which upset his horse and caused a set back.  

This was Rob working with his horse.  I don't recall how exactly he and his horse did.  

Tiffany did a very nice job, although I just didn't feel like her horse was as connected with her, as some of the others. 



Here are the results of all three rounds and the final score for each competitor.   Pat Parelli quote. → 

The final score was announced after the noon intermission and opening ceremonies.

All weekend, during the intermissions, round pen(s) or props and other equipment were removed and the arena was raked and misted with water.  Spectators, including ourselves would use the rest room, get food, walk around and/or shop.

Friday - Sunday there were opening ceremonies before each round of the Championship competition began.

First was presentation of the flags (video).  Some of the members of The Wrangler drill team rode out with various flags, including Australian and Canadian (where two competitors were from).

With the presentation of the American Flag, the national anthem was sung and then a prayer was said.  


Next several entertainers performed with their horse(s).  




Using the 'Legends in the Making' theme, the spotlight was put on the bond between horse and rider, as they had built trust, bravery, and courage—one step at a time—laying the foundation for a legendary partnership.  

 


Jake Durancik, a 26-year-old horseman from the small town of Yorkville, IL. did liberty work with his horse Adira.  He said she was once labeled “untrainable.”  But seen each day this weekend, she stepped into one of the biggest stages and trusted Jake every step of the way. There were nerves, excitement, and a whole lot of heart poured into this performance.

Their performance was amazing and captivating (video).  Jake was quoted on RTTH Facbook page, "I believe in building trust and connection through liberty work, always letting the horse have a choice and never forcing anything. It's about authenticity, respect, and the magic that comes from truly understanding and loving these incredible animals."




Next, Whispery Pines Percherons (owned by Sam and Kellie Rettinger) came out with four of their horses hitched to two Roman Chariots.  







I am including photos here, of Whispery Pines Percherons taken during several of their different appearances over the four days of this year's RTTH.  

The US Veterans were honored on one of the days of the opening ceremonies.  Proud to be an American.
Below, a wagon load of previous RTTH winners.  

Patty and Joanne had talked with owners Sam and Kellie and found out why the 8-horse drawn carriage did not appear.  One of the horses was a little off (being treated for soreness or lameness).  




These quotes about the Percherons were on the RTTH Facebook page:  "The respect you put into them, you get back from them" said Sam.  "Sometimes, I swear they know what we're going to do before we even ask," added Kellie, on the intelligence of their horses.  




The idea that horses know what we are going to do before we ask is a common sentiment in horsemanship, often highlighting their sensitivity and ability to read human body language and intention.  This concept is central to the teachings of many master horsemen.  


Horses have an extraordinary, non-judgmental ability to read and instantly reflect a human’s internal emotional state, energy, and intentions.  This ability is rooted in survival biology rather than magic. 

Horses possess a high aptitude for reading micro-signals, such as heart rate changes, breathing patterns, and muscle tension.  


This is why horses reflect a rider's inner emotional state, energy, and character.  A horse's behavior often demonstrates the rider's calm, fear, or frustration.  

A horse can hear the human heartbeat at least 4 feet away... They hear the intention, they feel the vibe- they are the tellers of self and the mirrors of souls.  








My favorite group of entertainers has always been the Wranglers drill team, and this year was no exception.  This group of women is from Allen, Texas and have won many National Drill Team Championships.    

These photos are from a (video) of part of this routine, the whole thing was riden at a lope/canter.  It's amazing how tight they got their circle while moving so fast.  






These ladies are known for exceptional horsemanship and high energy entertainment.  This elite team delivers performances that are both technically impressive, and visually stunning.  

And here is a (video) of a routine done on a different day.  And this (video) shows a another section of the routine from a different area of stadium seating.  

Seeing these performances live is actually much more spectacular.

The precision, pageantry and passion of the work these ladies do with their horses, embodies a blend of technical skill, visual splendor, and emotional intensity.  This photo was from yet another routine, with a third costume and flag change.  


E Imaginations was another group to perform.  


Ermes Zamperla is an 8th-generation stunt rider and acrobatic performer. 





He and his production company combine a deep dedication to equestrian arts, a love of horses, and a keen understanding of movement and physicality.  These qualities are evident in their training, stage presence, and instruction.  Their dynamic show specializes in acrobatic equestrianism.







This group performed each day, doing shows specializing in the medieval theme with Renaissance Knights jousting and sword fighting.  I took this (video) as they came in for their first show.  

Ermes  and Amanda Pennino did a vaulting routine that seemed to be cut short just after he did a lift with her.  

  






When they rode back around, I saw a grimace on his face and she seem to be consoling him, rubbing his back.  I think he may have gotten hurt.

These two quotes were shown up on the Jumbotron:  

Traditional medieval proverd - "A colt handled with wisdom grows into a horse that will carry a warrior"  (c.12th-15th century)

"Courage grows in that which is wisely guided." (Livre Du Alier. De La Tour Landry (c.1372)

The next 'act' was with Elliot Holtzman, a horse trainer and equine entertainer.  He is said to bring adventure and horsemanship to every performance.  He is based in Nocona, TX and is known for his creative approach to training, that mixes liberty work, colt starting, and theatrical performance.    

 

He did a cool and captivating liberty performance with his horse.
 

Fleur De Lis Vaulters, a nonprofit equestrian vaulting program, located in Paris, KY. did a short demonstration.









Vaulting is described as gymnastics and dance performed in harmony on the back of a moving horse.  I was more impressed with the consistent, unchanging gate and speed of the horse than I was the vaulter on his back.
 

At the end of the opening ceremonies, the Wranglers drill team did a 'flag' commercial which consisted of racing (at a fast canter) one lap around the perimeter of the arena on their horses while carrying a flag displaying a sponsor's name/logo.  The announcer said a short promotion for each of the many flags.  This was the best commercial ever, in my opinion.  In the photo, circled in yellow, you can see myself, Joanne, Patty, and Courtney; watching.

It was time to announce the winner of the Wild Card competition.  Each competitor made a lap around the arena.  This is Sadie Fisher.  

Next came Tiffany McLaury.  







Then Rob Leach.  







And finally Jason Irwin.  









They all lined up in front of the stage, sitting on their horse, to hear the announcement of the winner.  The winner of the Wild Card competition would immediately advance to the Championship Competition.  




As posted earlier, here are the final scores.  Tiffany had done so well in the last round, it's no surprise she won.




Tiffany was spotlighted as she rode her horse in a victory lap.  

The four Championship competitors (Ryan Rose, Nick Dowers, Elisa Wallace, and Tiffany McLaury) then came up on the stage.  

They were there to watch the running of the Remuda, and to pick the horse they would train in the World Championship competition.  This is the second year of this competition that they have used fillies (mares) in the championship round.  

The running of the Remuda is always so magical, mystical, magnificent, spectacular, breathtaking, and awe-inspiring.

The horses charge into the arena with high energy, showcasing a sense of freedom, excitement, and curiosity.  It is really cool how they move about the arena as a cohesive unit.  They tend to move together, following the lead of the wrangler or a calm "lead" horse.







The horses display a mix of high-energy emotions and behaviors, including excitement, alertness, curiosity, sometimes fear, and a strong sense of herd mentality.






Tiffany McLaury won first draw and picked  #8 Sunny Lucky Cat to train and compete with.
Nick Dowers opted for #2 Nasty Tea Pot 
Elisa Wallace chose #10 Tuff Twister
Ryan Rose selected #7 Desire Some Cash, commenting that his choice was from the heart, not the head...  He knew she would be a tough horse but she reminded him of his favorite horse back home.

This is the judging criteria for the three sessions for the RTTH World Championship of Colt Starting competition.

Round one started a little after 2pm and went for an hour and 45 minutes.

I didn't take any photos, but watched the two round pens in front of us (where the two ladies were working).  I watched the distant pens (were the two men were) up on the Jumbotron.  
My favorite was Elisa Wallace, who had a very curious filly (in photo).  She had won her horse's trust very quickly and Tuff Twister, who she named Windy, would 'join up with' Elisa each time she entered the round pen.

We four ladies scurried out as soon as Round one was over.  I had gotten an up-date from Joe that he and the dogs were doing fine, enjoying the nice weather.

After Courtney and I took a nap, we hung out with Patty and Joanne down in their 'living room' and watched RTTH high lights.  We all felt that Elisa's score (in last place, 19 points behind Nick) was way too low for how well she had done.
Not wanting to go out again, we had dinner at the hotel Bistro.

Saturday 3/21 - The morning at Alltech Arena started later, with four clinics beginning at 10am, so we were not in a big hurry to get there.  
It looked to be feeding time for these horses as we drove into Kentucky Horse Park about 9am.  








Courtney always drove us two, and Patty and Joanne drove separately.  We stepped into this 'photo booth' upon our entering the stadium.

This is Buster McLaury, who's quote I really like.  It is so easy to get wrapped up in ourselves and how we appear, that we sometimes forget the task at hand (working with the horse).  


Dan James was the first clinician, and had Dan Steers with him.  They comprise Double Dan Horsemanship. 





This is Dan James' horse, Swampy, whom he won the 2012 Road to the Horse World Championship with.  









The clinic the two Dans did together was quite hysterical.  They had a woman cowgirl mannequin tied to Swampy and talked about the do's and don't s of good riding.

Dan James' wife did the voice of the cowgirl dummy.  Their conversation and riding style attempts had the crowd laughing.  









James showed off a little, riding his beautiful palomino.  




Steers guided Swampy through liberty work with the dummy Cowgirl appearing to be controlling directing the horse.  






Ryan Rose (and his wife) did the next clinic, demonstrating the versatility of the ranch horse and the dressage horse.  





Then Ryan did some dressage moves on his horse while his wife did some ranch maneuvers on her horse.  







Elisa Wallace was the third to demonstrate her training skills, riding her mustang that she had started and trained.  

After riding around and doing some jumps with the bit-less bridle, she removed it. 

 

She proceeded to ride her mustang freestyle around the arena with just a rope around his neck.



As you might guess from all the photos I've included, Elisa was my favorite.  She was an amazing rider and trainer. 












She was so connected to this once wild mustang. 

Nick Dowers, a two-time Road to the Horse World Champion (2016 & 2019) was the last clinician.  

While he rode his horse around the arena, warming her up, he talked about his methods and training philosophy.  He grew up learning that a strong work ethic, patience, and perseverance were his greatest tools for success.  







Go slow to go fast and it takes as long as it takes.  

Nick finished his clinic, demonstrating how his horse did cattle penning with very little direction from him.  Her instincts, drive, understanding, and willingness to do the job, were so good, Nick said all he had to do, was stay/move with her.  



After a lunchtime intermission, there was another opening ceremony very similar to yesterday's.  Host Anthony Lucia and Dan James again did great announcing and later commentary and interviews; before, during, and after each round of the competition.  They made the experience truly a world-class, powerful blend of horsemanship, heritage, and heart.

The components of what the competitors would be judged on in round two was then displayed on the Jumbotron.  They again had one hour and 45 minutes (with a 15min mandatory break) including up to two ten minute intervals riding outside the round pen.
 

I took very few photos because I was busy watching and knew I could find pictures on the internet.  Today Nick Dowers (seen in first two photos) and Ryan Rose were in the round pens right in front of us.  Like the ladies, their first task was to get their horse to 'join up' with them.    

 

Join-up is a non-violent, foundational horse training method developed by Monty Roberts to create a partnership based on trust, where the horse willingly connects with the human. It involves using body language to encouraging the horse to approach and connect, rather than flee.

After Ryan was in the saddle, he rode his filly in both directions at a walk and trot; but she was 'sticky' getting into a canter.

Ryan was the first one to ride out of the round pen.  His horse was still unsure of herself and Ryan admitted later to pushing a little too hard, because she had several little bucking episodes.  

Nick had done best in this round and was ahead of Tiffany by 22½ points.  Ryan was in 3rd place with the second best score for round 2.  He was 36 points ahead of Elisa.  Judging from internet comments we read later, we were like minded with many, in thinking Elisa had been scored too low.  






When interviewed, Elisa seemed to "Trust the process."  She had faith in her methods, remained consistent, and focused on staying calm and persistent, rather than increasing intensity to get immediate results.  She cared more for the horse than for the win.  






We had skedaddled out of the arena, same as the first two afternoons/evenings.  The mounted traffic control helped keep vehicles moving.  As we were leaving Thursday night, a mounted police was carrying a drivers licensed size card and leading his horse away from a truck he'd somehow pulled over.  It was the same truck that had passed us in the on coming traffic lane.  




For our last dinner out, we went to an authentic Mexican restaurant, so much so, only a few employees knew English... and just a small amount.  
Look at the size of this Coke that Patty was served. 









Leaving the restaurant, we paused by Joanne's car to get a photo of the sign of the neighboring establishment.  



Joanne spotted, in the grass, a couple of dollar bills and picked them up.  We joke that maybe they fell out of a strippers pants or "money thongs."   That totally grossed her out.

Maybe well known horse trainer Pat Parelli's quote should be heeded by woman on a 'girl's night out.'  He said about horse training: "Horsemanship is knowing where to be, when to be, why to be, what to do when you get there and WHEN TO QUIT doing what you're doing."

We got our bags mostly packed before bed in preparation for our morning check out.

Sunday 3/22 - This was the final day of Road To The Horse - World Championship of Colt Starting.  It featured the final obstacle course (as seen from our seats in this photo) and the culmination of training.  The final round would have two competitors before lunch and two after lunch, starting with the trainer with the lowest score (Elisa) and working up to the current first place (Nick).  

Opening ceremonies was abbreviated because they had to maneuver around the obstacle course.  Oops, a knight photo I overlooked with the earlier account of this performance group. 


Dan James & Swampy doing liberty work.  












Sadie Fisher roman riding.








Jake Durancik making another appearance.  

The obstacle course is most certainly the culminating portion of the four days of the whole Road To The Horse Colt Starting event.  It was medieval-themed, featuring castles, dragons, and a moat filled with alligators.  



Judges and competitors walked the obstacle course to see what was to be done at each obstacle.  This dragon had wings that were slowly moving up and down and was an optional adversary to face.  











According to trainer Ray Hunt, a horse does one of two things: it does what it thinks it is supposed to do, or it does what it thinks it needs to do to survive.  

How would each horse react in the face of fear as they approached the challenge of each of these obstacles they'd never seen before.

This meme is kind of a joke... Our horses can really be a calming factor when we are stressed out.  But sometimes a peaceful ride can become quite stressful when our horse over-reacts to some insignificant thing.

The four competitors, each going individually, had 20 minutes in the round pen and 35min. to do the obstacle course.  This shows the scores of round three and the final results after the three rounds.
We were all miffed as to why Elisa scored lower than Nick because she clearly did much better than he on the obstacle course.  Maybe because he had a more 'difficult' horse, he got more points.

Because Elisa was my favorite and she went first, I have the most photos of her.  On obstacle 1, the weave poles, they had to watch out for their heads hitting the weapon heads at the top of the poles.  







Elisa and her horse Windy did great going through each obstacle.  #3 and 4 were right in front of us.  

 

Elisa spent the most time getting Windy to cross the tarp (#4) and go through the noodles (#6).  And these were the two obstacles Nick never could get his horse to complete.  

(video) Coming through the castle gate obstacle, Elisa chose to have Windy check out the dragon...  



...and Windy knock the dragon's head off.

 







(video) completing the final obstacle, crossing the bridge while pulling the sword from the stone.  

Elisa Wallace and Tuff Twister successfully "slayed the dragon" during the final round, completing the challenging course with over 15 minutes to spare, making it look effortless.  






Elisa gave Windy a good head scratching when they were all done with their round three run.

 


Ryan Rose was next to go.  We watched him try to get his horse over the tarp, which was right in front of us.  He ended up skipping it and moving on to #5, the ground poles and jumps.  






Like Ryan, Tiffany McLaury ran out of time and was not able to get her horse to complete all the obstacles.  In the end, she did not win, and in fact came in 3rd place.  But she was very humble and gracious about it.  







Being in first place, Nick Dowers was the last to run round 3.  He did well, but not near as well as Elisa in my opinion.  During his few minutes of free style, with his extra time left, he too 'slays the dragon' and pays tribute to the creation of a courageous partner — brave in heart, strong in body, and unshaken in the face of the storm.

Wow!  What an awesome event this was.  Actually it was more than an event — it was an experience.  There was so much new knowledge to take away with us, and affirmation of the things we have been doing right.  

Again we scooted out of the arena and the Kentucky Horse Park to beat the crowd and traffic.  


Road To The Horse is such a great experience!
The Vision:
We believe through education and entertainment; we can change people’s ideas and create a better world for the horse.
The Mission:
To inspire people to reach a higher level of horsemanship and develop unity with a horse based on trust and not fear.

It was an uneventful drive home and we enjoyed seeing all the horses out in their fields as we headed (SW) down and out of Kentucky.