The words from a RTTH Fan “Women should have their own event” in 2005 stirred up Tootie Bland, Owner/Producer of RTTH, in her belief that, “Yes, women should be in Road to the Horse, but also that a woman can compete with a man in horsemanship.” With one phone call to Stacy Westfall, the journey began of two women who would prove to the world that it’s not just a man’s world, even in colt starting.
Today, the task of being the first woman World Champion in Road to the Horse does not seem that unusual or ground breaking but in 2006 Stacy Westfall faced the ultimate test of courage, horsemanship and the realization that she was now the one woman that carried the banner for all women under the microscope of Road to the Horse. Success comes to the brave and the pioneers of all generations and Stacy Westfall will forever be the 2006 RTTH World Champion, the First Lady of Road to the Horse. Stacy became the icon for all women that come to the cross roads of life, that face the decision to either run or stand and face the dragon with dignity, determination and the grace of God to believe in herself.
This year at Road to the Horse 2017 we celebrate the First Lady of Road to the Horse, Ms Stacy Westfall, and all she has accomplished. Road to the Horse is honored to welcome her to center stage as the Horsewoman’s Host, another first in Road to the Horse history. Stacy Westfall will pick up the microphone and join Road to the Horse Host, Matt West. With her expertise in the art of colt starting, she will share with us her personal experiences in 2006 and 2007 as a past Road to the Horse competitor and champion.
“It is without question in this year, as we celebrate the cowgirl at Road to the Horse, that our beloved Stacy Westfall would be the first RTTH Horsewoman’s Host” declares Tootie Bland. “We have walked through a lot of firsts and fires in our lives together, and there is no finer woman than Stacy Westfall to carry us forward once again.”
One decade later Stacy Westfall, Author, Cowgirl Hall of Famer, and Trail Blazer, will welcome the next generation of women and horsemanship at Road to the Horse, as the Road to the Horse 2017 cowgirl competitors, carry the torch of courage and belief in their skills as horsewomen, into the next decade.
The story of the First Lady of Road to the Horse…Westfall received her first pony at age six and has claimed to be “obsessed with horses from the beginning,” and continued working with horses throughout her childhood. While in high school, Westfall began competing in jumping and barrel racing. In 1997, the horsewoman earned an Equestrian Studies degree at The University of Findlay in Ohio. Unique to the freestyle reining competition at that time, Westfall was often bridleless and bareback. In 2003, she won the NRHA Freestyle Reining Competition, riding without a bridle. Her ride at the 2006 All American Quarter Horse Congress Freestyle created a sensation, earning national recognition after a video of her winning ride landed on YouTube and has since been viewed well over a million times. Stacy has produced several training DVD’s and continues to educate fellow horse lovers. Stacy and husband Jessie Westfall, founded Westfall Horsemanship, a training facility in Ohio where they live with their three boys. Learn more about Stacy Westfall here.
Road to the Horse 2017 tickets on sale now….
Road to the Horse 2017 will return to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, on March 23-26, 2017. Road to the Horse 2017 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.
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.
