He’s no stranger to Road to the Horse. The crew loves him, the fans love him, let’s just be honest, everyone loves the charismatic Australian horseman Dan James! Since his very first appearance at Road to the Horse 2012, fans have had a front row seat to the colorful life of Dan James and his beloved grey 6666 Ranch bred gelding, fondly known as Swampy.
After winning his Road to the Horse World Championship title in 2012, as one half of Team Australia, James purchased his winning 6666 Ranch bred colt Remember Sunset (nicknamed Swampy) and both have embarked on nothing short of an unbelievable journey. Thousands of horse lovers around the world have been left speechless by the unbelievable bond that has formed between James and Swampy, obvious in their mesmerizing liberty demonstrations.
“I can’t wait to be a part of such a milestone at Road to the Horse and help kick off the 15 anniversary celebrations,” stated James. “Road to the Horse has always been such a special event for me, and I couldn’t be more excited to return as a competitor in 2018.”
Born in Queensland, Australia, on a small cattle farm, James first began his lifelong passion with horses at six weeks old. The family milking goat had to suffice for riding until he got his first pony. Starting his first colt in his early teens sparked his hunger to understand more about the horse’s thinking patterns. After studying at Longreach Pastoral College, James began traveling the world to gain a better understanding of the horse. James first traveled to Hokkaido, Japan, then to Celina, Texas, working for cutting horse trainer Punk Carter.
In 2008, James joined his good friend, Dan Steers, in Western Australia at El Caballo Spanish Horse Centre, where they performed together each weekend in the ‘Dan and Dan Show’ developing their horsemanship techniques. In 2009, Steers and James relocated to New South Wales and Double Dan Horsemanship was born. After winning Road to the Horse 2012, James has continued to excel as a horseman, collecting multiple Kentucky Gold Cup and AQHA Congress Freestyle Reining Championships.
Now based in the United States, James continues to perform, teach and inspire horse lovers continuing the legacy of Double Dan Horsemanship at the Australian Equine Performance Center, based in Midway, Kentucky. James is joined by his wife, Elizabeth, and new-born daughter, Isabella.
James will join the Road to the Horse 2018 line-up with Kiwi sensation Vicki Wilson, who will return to defend the title she courageously captured in 2017. International showjumper Vicki Wilson was not only the first cowgirl to capture a Road to the Horse title from her homeland of New Zealand, she was also the first competitor from an English discipline.
Road to the Horse 2018 tickets are available online at www.RoadtotheHorse.com or by calling 877-772-5425. Follow Road to the Horse on Facebook for the latest information. For sponsorship opportunities at Road to the Horse 2018, contact Tammy Sronce at 940-859-6512 or email tammy@roadtothehorse.com.
Road to the Horse is March 23-25, 2018, in Lexington, Kentucky.
A vision of Steven and Tootie Bland, Road to the Horse was created with passion and perseverance. Steven and Tootie were believers in a message they wanted to share with the world. The message: create a relationship which is based on a foundation of trust with the horse, and everything else can be accomplished. Fans at Road to the Horse, follow the journey and witness an accumulation of a lifetime of passion and knowledge be put to the test as elite clinicians from around the world face off for the coveted World Championship of Colt Starting title. Fans witness partnerships develop before their very eyes, they witness the setbacks and witness the triumphs, as competitors build a relationship with an untouched 3-year-old American Quarter Horse which will then be put to the ultimate test, where only one can walk away with the World Championship of Colt Starting title.
