May 16, 2007 — It’s official–defending champion Chris Cox of Mineral Wells, Texas, returns to the round pens for Road to the Horse March 1-2, 2008. He’ll meet a packed house at Murfreesboro’s Tennessee Miller Coliseum as he challenges newcomers Tommy Garland of Powhatan, Va., and Ken McNabb of Cody, Wyo., for prizes totaling over $15,000.
Cox wowed the 2007 Road to the Horse crowd when his horse respectfully followed him out of the large arena at the end of his freestyle round–showing the trust and bond natural horsemanship can create.
Garland comes to Road to the Horse as an expert Arabian horse trainer–bringing kind and solid horsemanship training to the horse show crowd. His horses have won in western, trail and hunter divisions and received high honors in the English and driving disciplines in the U.S. and Brazil. He won the 2006 Equine Extravaganza Trainer’s Challenge and was recently nominated by the Arabian Professional Horseman’s Association as the 2006 Male Western Pleasure Trainer of the Year.
McNabb has taught thousands of horse enthusiasts about kind horse-training methods through his RFD-TV show and his crowd-gathering expo and training clinics. McNabb was one of the first John Lyons Certified Trainers. He now lives the cowboy lifestyle in Wyoming.
“We’ve turned the heat up for 2008,” owner/producer Tootie Bland says. “There’s no doubt the ‘Chris Cox Rocks’ fans will return with the strength of a champion. Cox is a proven winner and his fans have no doubts he can win again. The South will rise to the occasion and support Tommy Garland, their southern son. And never discount a Wyoming cowboy. Ken McNabb will come with a fire of his own. Get ready, we won’t disappoint.”
But there’s more. A Road to the Horse crewmember has decided to literally throw his/her hat in the ring. The identity is a secret at press time, but Bland promises to reveal a clue each month–helping fans guess the fourth competitor before all is revealed at the March 2008 event.
Tickets to the 2008 event are now on sale. Call 877-772-5425 or visit www.roadtothehorse.com.
