Six talented colts starters will compete at the first dedicated Wild Card Challenge on September 22-25, 2022, at the Cowtown Coliseum, in Fort Worth, Texas. The Wild Card Champion will take their share of the $25,000 cash prize and receive an invitation to compete at the coveted Road to the Horse 2023 World Championship of Colt Starting. Critiquing this talented Wild Card lineup will be the responsibility of five expert judges, who each bring a unique skillset to the panel.
“We couldn’t be more excited to bring an expanded Road to the Horse event to Texas. The judging is a key factor in the success of this event, and we are confident that we’ve put together a panel of judges who each bring a tremendous amount of knowledge to the event,” states Morris Equine Group President Tina Battock. “It’s the gathering of such skillful individuals that allow Road to the Horse to continue to be at the pinnacle of horsemanship and a leader in colt starting.”
The five talented individuals chosen to judge the 2022 Road to the Horse Wild Card Challenge are: Barbra Schulte, Punk Carter, Eric Hoffmann, and Jesse Westfall. Jeff Williams will serve as Head Judge for the event.
Barbra Schulte: Barbra Schulte is a High-Performance Coach, cutting horse trainer, author of four books, publisher of online programs, clinician, speaker, and an honoree in the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame. As a National Cutting Horse Association competitor, Schulte was the first woman to win two legs of cutting’s triple crown.
Punk Carter: Punk Carter is a cutting horse industry icon and one of its most respected members and activist. He is a past President of the NCHA and has been an NCHA Director for over 30 years. He was inducted into the NCHA Members’ Hall of Fame during the Futurity in 2002.
Eric Hoffman: Eric Hoffmann is the Director of Horsemanship and head horsemanship instructor at the Montana Center for Horsemanship and the University of Montana Western where he has taught horsemanship classes since 2008. Hoffmann holds an A.A.S. in Equine Management and Training from Laramie County Community College and earned a B.S. and M.S. degrees in Agriculture Education from the University of Wyoming and Montana State University.
Jesse Westfall: Jesse Westfall has accumulated multiple National Reining Horse Association and American Quarter Horse Association year-end awards, as well as being a two-time Reserve Champion at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress. Jesse served as an NRHA judge for 14 years and has presided over shows in the US, Canada, and Australia. He has a strong interest in bloodlines and breeding and is responsible for breeding horses that have won 11 All American Quarter Horse Congress Championships.
Jeff Williams – Head Judge: For more than 20 years, Jeff Williams has started colts for numerous clients that include the Haythorn Land & Livestock, King Ranch, Beggs Ranch, Matador Ranch, Espuela Ranch, and the Muleshoe Ranch. Many of the colts he starts bring top bids at prestigious ranch horse sales. Jeff is also a Ranch Horse Association of America event judge.
For a complete biography on each individual judge and Wild Card competitor, visit www.RoadtotheHorse.com. The Road to the Horse Wild Card Challenge takes place at the Cowtown Coliseum on September 22-25, 2022. Tickets are available at www.RoadtotheHorse.com. Follow Road to the Horse on Facebook for the latest information.
Photo (L-R): Barbra Schulte, Punk Carter, Eric Hoffmann, Jesse Westfall and Jeff Williams
