Fans at Road to the Horse 2019 were treated to an unbelievable display of both sportsmanship and horsemanship when past Road to the Horse World Champions Nick Dowers and Vicki Wilson went head to head for the 2019 World Championship of Colt Starting title at the Kentucky Horse Park on March 22–24, 2019. Nevada horseman and cow horse trainer Nick Dowers narrowly defeated New Zealand show jumper Vicki Wilson to claim the title and the $100,000 winner’s purse in a close finish that came down to the final round.
In addition to the overall title, Dowers was awarded the Jack Brainard Horsemanship Award for his outstanding ability to observe, analyze, and apply horsemanship methods that are best suited to each individual colt’s personality.
Road to the Horse 2019 also hosted the Wild Card competition in which Wild Card competitors selected and started a Four Sixes Ranch 3-year old gelding, along with the main competitors, in the traditional Road to the Horse format. Road to the Horse 2019 Wild Card competitor Wade Black reserved his spot as a main competitor at Road to the Horse 2020 by claiming the Road to the Horse 2019 Wild Card Championship, against fellow Wild Cards Ben Baldus and Booger Brown.
During Road to the Horse 2019, Craig Cameron was proud to announce the inclusion of his son, Cole Cameron, in the Road to the Horse 2020 Wild Card competition. Cole will be joined by another Wild Card who will be selected from the list of Mustang Heritage Foundation trainers who are competing in a 2019 or 2020 Extreme Mustang Makeover competition. The third Road to the Horse 2020 Wild Card competitor has yet to be announced.
“Dowers and Wilson proved exactly why they are both past Road to the Horse World Champions,” stated Western Horseman Publisher Ernie King. “Both the competitors and the Wild Cards demonstrated exceptional levels of horsemanship, and this was reflected in the closeness of the scores throughout the entire event. It was an unbelievable privilege to watch these master colt starters form partnerships with their Four Sixes Ranch colts.”
Morris Communications Company, LLC,parent company to Western Horseman, is excited to take the reins of Road to the Horse from event founder Tootie Bland, who sold the event to the media company last year. Tootie Bland’s dedication and boundless creativity will be greatly missed, but Morris is eager to build on and expand the reach of Road to the Horse, staying true to the fundamental horsemanship principles of the event.
“I want to thank the founder of Road to the Horse, Tootie Bland, for her tremendous work and creativity with this incredible event. She and her husband made it happen” states William S. Morris, III, Chairman of Morris Communications Company, LLC. “The Morris Family will carry on this tradition with the same passion and commitment to entertain and educate the fundamentals of horsemanship principles.”
Road to the Horse 2020 will take place at the Kentucky Horse Park on March 19–22, 2020. Road to the Horse 2020 tickets are available online at www.RoadtotheHorse.com or by calling 800-514-3849. Learn more about Road to the Horse at www.RoadtotheHorse.com. Follow Road to the Horse on Facebook for the latest information.
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About Road to the Horse (March 19–22, 2020 — Lexington, Kentucky):
Founded in 2003, Road to the Horse strives to entertain and educate fans in the art of natural horsemanship. Road to the Horse challenges the world’s best equestrians to build a partnership with an untrained 3-year-old American Quarter Horse, across three intense days of competition. Fans witness the entire journey, from colt selection, to the final obstacle challenge. Only one competitor will earn the $100,000 purse and the World Championship of Colt Starting title. Purchase tickets and learn more at www.RoadtotheHorse.com.
About Morris Communications Company, LLC
Morris is home to the world’s premier media brands focused on original, expert-driven content delivered across the globe in print and digital formats on topics including travel, outdoors, local interest, western and equine. With a history and heritage in publishing dating back to 1785, the company today delivers stand-out magazines, mobile apps, specialty websites, trusted guidebooks and travel maps.
Morris’ Equine Group consists of some of the industry’s most recognized equine publications, including Western Horseman, Quarter Horse News, Barrel Horse News and Equine Journal. The group also includes the equine portal site HorseCity.com and business-to-business publication, Western Lifestyle Retailer, and is home to Equistat, a statistical service offering detailed information and earnings for a variety of disciplines within the performance horse industry.
