Top “Horse Whisperers” to Present Clinics,
Compete in Challenge in Fort Worth

Fort Worth, Texas - The best of the best “horse whisperers” from around the world will converge in Fort Worth, Texas, for a two-day event called El Camino del Caballo (The Road to the Horse), designed to showcase the increasingly popular and somewhat mysterious technique of gentle horsemanship. The one-of-a-kind event will take place December 12-13 at the Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth’s Historic Stockyards, starring Curt Pate, Clinton Anderson and Josh Lyons.

“El Camino del Caballo offers the chance to witness young horses take their first step down the road of trust, communication and partnership with the greatest clinicians in the world,” said Tootie Bailey-Bland, producer of El Camino del Caballo.

The first day of the two-day event will feature: clinics by Pate, Anderson and Lyons presenting their individual styles of horsemanship in dealing with a variety of problems and solutions; a rare, one-on-one question and answer session with the three clinicians; entertaining routines with their favorite horses; and the beginning of the challenge.

For the challenge, Pate, Anderson and Lyons will each choose three virtually untouched horses from a herd in the Coliseum arena. The challenge will begin Friday and continue through Saturday. Drawing on their horsemanship knowledge and skills in communication and psychology, the three men will demonstrate how to gentle, saddle, ride and guide a horse through an obstacle course without using force, fear or trauma.

“It will be exciting, entertaining and enlightening to witness how improvement in both ability and attitude is possible when you begin with a solid foundation and respect for the horse,” said Bailey-Bland. “A winner will be announced at the end of the second day, to judge who has made the most progress with his horse, but the real winners of El Camino del Caballo are the horse owners who attend, and their horses.”

El Camino del Caballo will teach that respected training methods don’t “break” horses anymore, but communicate by touch, feel, empathy and knowledge. “If you own horses, work or compete with horses, or just happen to be one of the millions of admirers of these beautiful creatures, this event is not to be missed,” Bailey-Bland said.

The mysteries and beliefs of the gentler training method are highly revered within equine circles. But the method only came to the attention of the general public with the best-selling novel “The Horse Whisperer,” written by Nick Evans, which was made into an award-winning 1998 movie (and television documentary) directed by and starring Robert Redford.

The recent blockbuster movie “Seabiscuit” takes the natural horsemanship methods even deeper into the mysteries of communication between man and horse.

El Camino del Caballo will give people the chance to witness this fascinating method first-hand.

“El Camino del Caballo will be not only educational and entertaining, but, simply put, it will amaze you,” said Bailey-Bland. “You are going to see things happen in those arenas that will challenge your ability to believe. Can man really communicate with the horse? Can man, the predator, win the trust and confidence of the horse, his prey? Are these clinicians mystical men, or just human beings like you and me? If I follow them, will they lead me to a better life with my horse and for my horse? The real winners of this event will be people who come to watch, and the horses themselves.”

Day One: Friday December 12, 2003 - Starts: 12:00pm
Pull out your camera and spend an hour with Curt, Josh and Clinton. Get the answers to your questions and talk to three of the greatest Clinicians in the world, all under one roof, all in one place.

Cowtown Coliseum comes alive with a rousing introduction of these great men with an entertaining routine of their “dream horses.” Enjoy the amazing and delightful experience of seeing three of the finest trained horses in the business.
The Challenge begins with the “running of the remuda”. Five judges and you will watch as 10 young unbroken horses enter the arena and meet the clinician for the first time. Under the watchful and educated eye of Curt, Josh and Clinton, they will choose three of the ten horses to begin the “road to the horse” challenge.

Round one of judging the Challenge Round Pen work begins... The three chosen unbroken colts are randomly sorted into three round pens set in the middle of the arena. The “pen draw” will determine which pen and horse each clinician has for the challenge. Each clinician will be supplied one production Wrangler to aid him outside of the pen. In the next hour, watch and believe how man and horse begin the process of trust and communication. With the first scores entered in the judge’s books this first hour will prove to be the foundation set for the next days final two-hour challenge and obstacle course.

Test your skills at judging and mark your scores in your programs judges’ sheets. 

Day Two: Saturday December 13, 2003- Start time: 12:00pm
After a good nights rest of both horse and Clinician each will meet in the same round pens for the final two hours of judging of the “round pen work” final. For two hours in “round pen work” each clinician and horse will build a lasting and trusting relationship. This very relationship will soon be tested with the “dry work” and “obstacle course”. The judges will add their previous days score and come to a grand total of scores for the “round pen work” for each clinician and horse.

The “dry work” will include the basic physical performance of horsemanship: Walking, Trotting, Loping, Standing, Backing, Turns and Stops. The mental basics of horsemanship equally judged will include: Calmness, Acceptance, Willingness, Communication and Partnership.

The “obstacle course” will consist of several challenges. These challenges will be designed and chosen by the clinicians themselves. Each clinician will determine a degree of difficulty for each obstacle.

The “free style” is the most unpredictable and exciting portion of the challenge. It is the freedom for each clinician to show the best of himself and his new partner, the horse, to the best of their abilities and readiness.
The scores will be added and announced.

Ride the Remuda Productions feels strongly that each horse, clinician and spectator will emerge a winner due to the knowledge, sportsmanship and experience that all of us will take on “the road to the horse”.

General admission tickets to El Camino del Caballo are available through both Ticketmaster and Cowtown Coliseum (1-888-COWTOWN). General admission tickets are $45 for one day, $80 for both days, or $50 per day at the gate.
Box and VIP seats are available only through Cowtown Coliseum at 1-888-COWTOWN. Box seating is $55 for one day, $100 for both days, or $60 per day at the gate. VIP seating is $100 per day, or $150 per day at the event. VIP tickets include program, food, and beverages (cash bar) in the VIP area.

For more information, the pubic can call 1-888-COWTOWN or visit www.roadtothehorse.com.

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