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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Doswell, Virginia (Nov. 11, 2011)
Colt starting is never easy….. or is it? When you put three
extraordinary trainers together for three days, with three young
unstarted 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.
“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. 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! |