Judges Named For the 2012 Road to the Horse

Contributed

An esteemed panel of international judges will make their way to the floor of the Tennessee Miller Coliseum on March 9 to 11 when the 2012 Road to the Horse International kicks off its first international competition.

Featuring six trainers, with two each from Australia, Canada, and the United States, excitement is building and good-natured national pride is on the rise for the event taking place in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Serving as head judge is Mike Kevil of Scottsdale,  Arizona,  a former Road to the Horse competitor and judge. He has more than 30 years of experience starting colts and changing the behavior of older horses. Kevil has been all over the US and to Europe working with all breeds of horses in all disciplines. He works with clubs, associations, schools, neighbourhood groups,  even prisons,  helping people have successful relationships with horses.

Returning to Road to the Horse is Dr. Robert M. Miller of Thousand Oaks, California. Dr. Miller is a world-renowned speaker and author on horse behavior and natural horsemanship. He is also father of the revolutionary foal training technique known as "imprint training".  Dr. Miller has always been an innovator and his ability to explain how and why the clinicians training techniques are so effective has made him a driving force in the movement towards better, more humane, and more effective training of horses. 

Also returning is another valued patriarch of the horse industry, Jack Brainard of Tioga, Texas.  Known for his contributions to the equine industry and his lifelong commitment to horses, Jack still trains his own two-year-olds at age 85. He can be found schooling numerous horses, or teaching students, who marvel at his “easy to understand” presentation of the prerequisites and elements of the flying lead change, his positive and motivating approach to both horse and rider, and his never-ending enthusiasm for doing what he truly loves.

Hugh McClennan of Kamloops, British Columbia, will be representing Canada as a judge. McLennan’s award-winning Spirit of the West weekly syndicated radio program reaches the world through the internet and over a large number of stations in the US and Canada. The show first aired in June 1992, and since then has produced hundreds of original episodes.  A cattle rancher and horse trainer as well as a singer and storyteller, Hugh McLennan prides himself on "bringing the positive side of life on the land and the inspiring words of highly successful people to the general public."  Hugh was the emcee at the first Kamloops Cowboy Festival and has presided ever since at that popular event.  A long-time broadcaster, Hugh is also a motivational speaker, and is heard regularly on the Personal Success Radio Network.

Coming back for his second time is PRCA World Champion Cody Lambert. Lambert of Bowie, Texas, has a long and storied history in the world of horses and continues to use those skills today, even though he is best known for his bull riding skills. His father, Cliff, was the first winner of the All American Futurity, riding Galobar to the win in 1959 and continues as a trainer at Ruidoso Downs today, sharing his advice and wisdom with Cody and is other son, also a jockey, Casey. Cody’s list of accomplishments include qualifying for three PBR World Finals and making 10 out of 16 NFR rodeo appearances during his professional career in bull riding and saddle bronco riding.

Rounding out the field is Australian-born Wayne Robinson.  Wayne grew up in Australia where he first met Ray Hunt; an event he says changed his life. At 21 years of age, he came to the United States and began working for Ray, preparing sale horses, and continued to work for Hunt on and off over the years. Now 40, Robinson lives in Millsap, Texas, with his wife Jody, where he owns his own training operation, starting colts and training cutting horses. He has qualified for the NCHA Futurity Finals twice and the semi-finals four times. Seven colts competing in the 2011 NCHA Futurity were started by Robinson, including the 2011 Open Futurity Champion and the 2011 Non Pro Reserve Champion.