FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
|
Rachael O’Hara , Program Director Equine Extravaganza 640 Owl Court Arnold, MD 21012 Voice: 410.349.9333 www.equineextravaganza.com |
Equine Extravaganza November 4–6, 2011 The Meadow Event Park Birthplace of Secretariat Doswell, VA |
||
|
Star-Studded Equine Extravaganza Trainer Challenge Features Chase Dodd, Tommy Garland, and Brock Griffith Doswell, VA: Roll out the red carpet! The stars are aligned for the 2011 Equine Extravaganza Celebrity Trainer Challenge in which three outstanding horsemen will bring their own brand of accomplished horsemanship to the arena. The 2011 all-star cast includes three outstanding trainers: Chase Dodd, Tommy Garland, and Brock Griffith, each a celebrity horseman in their own right. And these three competitors are no strangers to colt starting competitions. Chase Dodd, though new to Equine Extravaganza, is already a rising star in the world of training and competitions. Chase has amassed a huge following of loyal fans from across the country with his gentle techniques and soft-spoken style. Winner at trainer challenge competitions in Illinois and Alabama, this unassuming Tennessee cowboy is also a two-time Extreme Mustang Makeover winner. The Extreme Mustang Makeovers is an extensive 90-day training challenge in which trainers from across the country work to gentle wild mustangs and ready them for saddle, rider, and ultimately for adoption. Chase, a real crowd pleaser, wows audiences with his signature leap from a small trampoline onto his horse’s back as he dunks a basketball through a hoop. Tommy Garland and Equine Extravaganza share a common beginning in the world of colt starting competitions, as Tommy, competed in and won Equine Extravaganza’s very first Trainer Challenge in 2006 with a masterful demonstration of natural horsemanship. Following that win Tommy was selected to compete in the 2008 prestigious Road to the Horse colt starting competition. His extraordinary performance there garnered respect from thousands of new fans, increasing his already solid fan base and solidified Tommy’s status as one of the top trainers in the country. Tommy also holds many Arabian World Championships including most recently the Arabian World 2010 Champion Western Pleasure Junior Horse title on Dancin To Victory. Brock Griffith also began his colt starting competition at Equine Extravaganza where he competed in and won the 2008 North Carolina Equine Extravaganza Trainer Challenge. Later that year Brock won the Virginia Equine Extravaganza Championship Challenge against finalists from other competitions across the country. Brock has become an Equine Extravaganza crowd favorite and has a strong and growing following from his native North Carolina and surrounding areas. Brock placed 11th in the 2009 Extreme Mustang Makeover and will be competing in the 2011 competition, along with his wife, Leisha, who won last year’s Equine Extravaganza first All-Women Trainer Challenge. “We’re so honored to host these three remarkable trainers at this year’s competition,” said Equine Extravaganza organizer, Vicki O’Hara. “In addition to all being true southern gentlemen they are among the top trainers in the horse industry and they are all in it to win. It is definitely going to be an on-the-edge-of-your-seat challenge.” The Trainer Challenge is based on the principles of low-stress natural horsemanship with emphasis placed on the quality and appropriateness of the training. The audience and judges will be looking for enduring and purposeful training techniques and steady progress in the horse. “The results are not about who takes their horse the farthest the fastest,” said Rachael O’Hara, Equine Extravaganza Program Director, “but rather about demonstrating the most appropriate natural horsemanship techniques for their horse’s unique personality and stage in training without creating undue stress. ” Trainers who push their horse too far too fast are penalized in scoring and if a trainer uses excessively stressful techniques they can be disqualified. “It is ultimately about doing the right thing for the horse,” said O’Hara. This year’s Equine Extravaganza Celebrity Trainer Challenge will kick off at 9:30 each morning of the Expo, beginning on Friday November 4th. Each trainer will be randomly assigned a young, unstarted horse and will have a one-hour training session with their horse each day. Following the third session on Sunday morning, trainers will showcase progress made as they take their mounts through a course of obstacles. Each trainer will have time to discuss their horse, their process, and their techniques. Garland, Dodd, and Griffith will be joined at this year’s Equine Extravaganza with other exceptional trainers including John Lyons, Kenny Harlow, Colleen Kelly, Larry Whitesell, Leisha Griffith, Lizzy Traband, Steuart Pittman, Mike Branch, Scott Purdum, Randy Abernathy, and more. Throughout the weekend there will be over 100 clinics in disciplines including dressage, gaited horses, barrel racing, western pleasure, trail, and jumping, as well as clinics that include horse care, nutrition, saddle fitting, ground manners, horse 101 for beginners, and so much more. Other event highlights of the weekend include a showcase of horses ready for adoption in the Horse Rescue Initiative, the Retired Racehorse Retraining Project clinics with Steuart Pittman, a BLM Mustang adoption of 10 halter-broke mustangs with Mike Branch, a Competitive Trail Challenge with Kenny Harlow, plus 100s of vendors for great holiday shopping, a trailer shopping extravaganza, a taste of Virginia Foods and Wine, canine demonstrations and adoption showcases, and Breyer Horse Painting sponsored by Champion Saddlery. Saturday and Sunday attendees will enjoy the Virginia Draft Horse and Mule Association Old Dominion Show, a fun event for competitors and spectators alike. Limited exhibitor space is available. Call 410-349-9333 for more information on becoming an exhibitor or sponsor.
Daily Admissions ###
About Equine Extravaganza
|
|||