What Road to the Horse Gets Right — And What It Reveals About Horsemanship
After sharing our initial thoughts on Road to the Horse, we wanted to follow up with something equally important:
Recognition.
Because while our first article focused on how public perception can misinterpret what’s happening in environments like this, it’s just as important to say this clearly:
The level of horsemanship on display is exceptional.
A Spotlight on Skill, Not Just Speed
Before highlighting any one competitor, it’s important to say this clearly—we were impressed by all of the competitors in the Championship round.
Each brought a high level of skill, awareness, and adaptability into a very challenging environment. There were multiple moments throughout the competition where we saw thoughtful decisions being made in real time to support the horse.
We’re using Tiffany McLaury as an example here not because she was the only one demonstrating that level of horsemanship, but because we had the opportunity to watch her across both the Wild Card and Championship rounds, which gave us a more complete view of her approach.
At the same time, it would be a miss not to recognize another standout performance in the Championship:
Elissa Wallace and her filly Tuff Twister.
While we didn’t have the opportunity to watch all of Elissa’s rounds firsthand, what we saw—and what was reflected in the results—reinforced the same theme we’re highlighting throughout this piece:
Putting the horse first.
Tiffany McLaury and the Filly Named “Dandelion”
Tiffany McLaury entered the competition as the 2026 Wild Card Champion, earning her way into the Championship round after a dominant performance with her colt, Nasty Metallic.
What stood out immediately was not speed.
It was feel.
Timing.
Awareness.
Adaptability.
Because at its core, Road to the Horse is not actually a competition about the horse.
It’s a competition about the trainer.
These are unstarted three-year-olds with limited human interaction, placed into a highly manufactured environment:
A large, loud arena
A ticking clock
A public audience
A condensed timeline of just a few hours across multiple days
And despite all of that, these trainers are able to communicate, connect, and progress with these horses in ways that are genuinely impressive.
That’s not normal.
That’s expertise.
In the Championship round, Tiffany worked with a filly named Sunny Lucky Cat, who she nicknamed Dandelion—a horse who, early on, made it very clear she would rather be anywhere else.
She was drawn to her herd. She wasn’t immediately engaged. She required thought, patience, and adjustment.
And that’s where Tiffany stood out.
She didn’t force the moment.
She adapted to it.
It took time just to catch the filly. Tiffany ultimately chose to use a rope to initiate connection—not as a shortcut, but as a decision based on what the horse needed in that moment. From there, everything changed.
The filly settled. The connection built. The communication became clear.
There was no bucking under saddle. No chaos. Just a horse looking for direction—and a trainer capable of giving it.
The Moment That Defined It
One of the clearest examples of Tiffany’s horsemanship came during the mounted obstacle portion.
She picked up a looped lariat while riding—something that immediately caused concern for the filly.
And what stood out most wasn’t just that the filly reacted.
It was what Tiffany did next.
Instead of trying to ride through it, hold onto the lariat, or prove a point—something many horsemen might feel pressure to do in that setting—she made a decisive choice.
She let it go.
Immediately.
She tossed the lariat, regrouped the filly, and reestablished confidence.
Then, after confirming with the judges, she dismounted, picked it up, attached it to the saddle, and continued.
That moment wasn’t about completing the obstacle.
It was about making it clear that the filly came first.
Because in a competition environment—especially one with a crowd, a timer, and expectations—it’s easy for ego to take over.
To push forward.
To prove capability.
To finish what was started.
But Tiffany showed the opposite.
She showed that real horsemanship isn’t about proving what you can get a horse to tolerate.
It’s about knowing when to step back, make an adjustment, and protect the horse’s understanding in that moment.
Another Example: Letting the Horse Come First
Elissa Wallace and her filly Tuff Twister reinforced that same idea in a different way.
While we didn’t have the opportunity to watch all of Elissa’s rounds firsthand, the scoring and final results tell an important story—and align with what we heard from others who followed her closely throughout the competition.
After the first two rounds, Elissa sat behind the top three competitors in overall points.
But in the final obstacle round, she delivered one of the strongest performances of the entire event—earning a 546.0, the second highest score of the round, and ultimately finishing as Reserve Champion overall.
More importantly than the score, though, was how it came together.
Her horse completed all of the obstacles faster than any other competitor.
And the filly moved through them with confidence and consistency that suggested understanding—not just compliance.
There was a moment where Elissa was unseated.
The filly reacted, she came off, regrouped, got back on, and continued.
And the horse stayed with her.
That’s foundation.
That’s trust.
And that kind of finish doesn’t happen by accident—it reflects the decisions made in the earlier sessions.
From everything we observed—and what was echoed by others—it appeared that Elissa made choices in those early rounds that prioritized the horse over maximizing points in the moment.
And that matters.
Because in a judged competition, choosing not to push—choosing not to chase every available point—is a reflection of priorities.
By the time the final round came, that approach showed up in a way that couldn’t be missed.
It’s also worth noting that Elissa rode in an English saddle and chose to wear a helmet—something we will always support and appreciate seeing.
Her background, including her work with Thoroughbreds through the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover and on the world stage in Eventing, is evident in her approach. Like Tiffany, she adapts to the horse in front of her rather than forcing a rigid system.
And while we didn’t see every moment firsthand, the outcome speaks clearly:
A horse that was confident, connected, and able to perform when it mattered most.
Foundation Over Ego
Across both examples, the common thread is clear:
The best horsemen and horsewomen in this setting are not the ones chasing speed.
They’re the ones making decisions in real time that protect the horse.
Throughout her sessions, Tiffany consistently reinforced foundational concepts:
Bend
Movement of the hind end
Forward with purpose
Rewarding the try
She acknowledged the filly’s mental effort, calling out how much the horse was sweating—not from physical exertion, but from processing.
She reassured. She adjusted. She stayed present.
And Elissa’s results showed that same philosophy from a different angle:
Sometimes doing less in the moment leads to more in the end.
The Reality Most People Miss
This is where the bigger takeaway comes in.
Because what these trainers are doing is not something most people can replicate.
Not because their horse is incapable.
But because that level of timing, feel, and adaptability is rare.
It’s easy to watch a horse complete obstacles within a short period of time and think:
“Why isn’t my horse doing that?”
But that comparison ignores:
The skill of the trainer
The individuality of the horse
The environment
Your horse is not that horse.
And your trainer should not be expected to operate like this in a normal setting.
When the Trainer Changes, the Foundation Gets Tested
Both Tiffany and Elissa demonstrated something critical:
They didn’t just get results.
They built a language.
And when that horse moves on, the success of that foundation depends on whether the next person:
Understands that language
Respects the foundation
Builds at the right pace
If not, that’s where cracks show.
The House You Build Matters
The best way we can describe it is this:
The foundation may exist.
But the builder matters.
A highly skilled horseman or horsewoman can build quickly because they are constantly adjusting to the horse.
They’re not forcing a system.
They’re adapting it.
But when that same foundation is handed to someone else, the outcome depends entirely on whether they:
Understand the existing foundation
Reinforce it appropriately
Build at a pace the horse can support
Because if you try to build a large structure on a misunderstood or underdeveloped foundation…
Cracks are inevitable.
A Reminder for Everyday Training
One of the most valuable takeaways from watching Tiffany wasn’t about speed.
It was about awareness.
She paid attention to the horse’s mental state.
She recognized effort.
She rewarded the try.
And she understood that just because a horse can keep going doesn’t mean it should.
That’s something every horse person can apply.
Not by trying to accomplish more in less time…
But by recognizing when enough is enough.
For some horses, that might be 30 minutes.
For others, it might be 15.
Or even 5.
The goal isn’t to maximize output.
It’s to protect understanding.
A Reminder for Those Working with Thoroughbreds
This is where we think this conversation becomes especially important for anyone working with Thoroughbreds after their racing careers.
Too often, when a horse struggles in a new environment, the default explanation becomes:
“It’s because they raced.”
“They don’t know anything.”
“They were rushed.”
But in many cases, that assumption says more about the human than it does about the horse.
Because Thoroughbreds don’t come off the track as blank slates.
They come off the track with a foundation.
They understand:
Structure
Routine
Forward movement
Pressure and release
Balance with a rider
Standing, waiting, and responding within a system
What they don’t always understand is a completely different language.
And that’s where the gap happens.
If a horse was brought along in one system—and then is immediately expected to perform in another without a transition—it’s not a failure of the horse.
It’s a mismatch of communication.
Going back to the earlier analogy:
If a foundation was built for one type of structure, and someone tries to build a completely different structure on top of it without adjusting or reinforcing the base…
Cracks are inevitable.
Not because the foundation is bad.
But because it’s being misunderstood.
The most successful transitions we see with Thoroughbreds happen when the next trainer or owner takes the time to ask:
What does this horse already know?
What language has it been taught?
And how do we build from there?
Instead of:
Why doesn’t this horse understand me?
Because forcing a new system onto a horse without first understanding the one it already knows is no different than what we’re cautioning against throughout this entire discussion.
It’s not about the breed.
It’s not about the past.
It’s about whether we’re willing to meet the horse where it is—and build forward with clarity.
What Road to the Horse Really Shows
At its best, Road to the Horse is not about proving how fast a horse can be started.
It’s about revealing how skilled a trainer truly is.
It’s about adaptability.
Feel.
Timing.
Decision-making under pressure.
That’s the real competition.
Recognizing the Full Field
It’s also important to recognize the full scope of the competition.
Congratulations to Nick Dowers for earning the overall Championship title, and to Ryan Rose for a strong performance as well.
Both clearly demonstrated a high level of skill and effectiveness throughout the competition, and results like that don’t happen without significant ability and experience.
Our decision to highlight Tiffany McLaury and Elissa Wallace in this article isn’t about overlooking those performances—it’s about using specific examples to illustrate a broader point.
Part of that is also recognizing representation.
This is not a sport where women have historically had a consistent seat at the table, and when they do—and perform at this level—it’s worth calling out and celebrating.
At the same time, both Tiffany and Elissa represent different paths within the competition.
Tiffany earned her way into the Championship through the Wild Card, which gave us the opportunity to see more of her process across multiple horses and multiple sessions. That extended view made her adaptability especially clear.
Elissa, on the other hand, represents a more non-traditional profile for this event—riding in an English saddle, wearing a helmet, and bringing a background that includes significant work with Thoroughbreds and retraining through programs like the Retired Racehorse Project.
Both approaches stood out.
Both reinforced the same idea:
That great horsemanship isn’t defined by a single style—it’s defined by the ability to adapt to the horse in front of you.
Final Thought
We are not against Road to the Horse.
In fact, we have a deep appreciation for it—especially when it highlights trainers like Tiffany McLaury and Elissa Wallace, who demonstrate what true horsemanship looks like under pressure.
But it’s important to remember what this is—and what it isn’t.
This is a competition.
A showcase of skill.
An artificial environment designed to test adaptability.
It is not a blueprint for how most horses should be started.
And it is not a standard that should be expected in everyday training.
There is value in every discipline.
There is something to learn from all of them.
But that learning only happens when we take the time to understand what’s really happening—both in the spotlight and behind the scenes.
