Ep 284: Road to the Horse 2025 Recap
Hey everybody, Phil Haugen here. I’m sitting down on a quiet Monday morning back home at our training facility in Weatherford, OK, finally taking a minute to reflect on what was one of the most challenging, rewarding, and unforgettable experiences of my career — Road to the Horse 2025.
I’m still soaking it all in, and I’ll be sharing more about the event in upcoming episodes, but I wanted to take this first week back to give you a little recap and share some thoughts while they’re still fresh on my mind.
Gratitude First
Before I get into the details, I’ve got to start by saying thank you.
To the entire Road to the Horse crew, thank you for putting on a top notch event. It was first-class all the way, and I truly appreciate the work and heart that goes into making it what it is. To the Pitchfork Ranch and the team that provided the horses, thank you for the stock and the hospitality. To the whole production crew, and to Scott Grover and Dan James for keeping the energy high and the crowd informed — y’all are pros.
To my crew, Sloan and Stacey Smith, I can’t thank you enough. Sloan, you were solid from start to finish. Stacey, you handled everything behind the scenes and made sure our brand was represented the right way. I couldn’t have asked for a better team.
And to my family — 32 of you made the trip to support me. Thirty-two. That’s incredible. Whether I’d come in first or last, I felt like I’d already won.
A Colt with a Lesson to Teach
I drew third for horse selection and picked a colt that reminded me of something I’d like to ride. But on the ground? That colt was strong, sensitive, real defensive, and not interested in letting me in his space.
The first day, trying to get that halter on him… it felt like three hours. It wasn’t, but man, it felt like it. Twice I had him almost caught, and the crowd in the coliseum erupted in applause for something happening in another pen — and both times it scared the colt right out from under me. He associated me with that pressure, and it made everything harder.
The reality is, when you’re in a competition like this, you’re under a time clock. You’ve got boxes to check — groundwork, obstacles, mounting, first ride — and when you spend the majority of your session just building enough trust to get a halter on, you leave a lot of points on the table. That’s the nature of the event.
But I’ll tell you this: that colt never quit trying, and neither did we.
Effort. Attitude. Resilience.
I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it — you can’t control everything, but you can always control your effort and your attitude. Day one was tough. We were behind. But our crew didn’t waver. Our mindset didn’t change. And by day two, we were able to get a saddle on him, get him moving forward, and start to ride him through the obstacles rather than trying to work them on the ground — because that’s where he found his confidence. From the saddle, he could focus on what was in front of him, not the mountain lion (me) standing beside him.
Day three, we walked out of the round pen and into that coliseum with a horse that felt solid. Green? Absolutely. He had three hours and 20 minutes of total working time. But he felt good. His transitions were soft. His turns were smooth. He was with me.
We made it through that obstacle course, had a strong freestyle, and when it was all said and done, I felt like I’d just accomplished one of the most meaningful things in my career. Not because of the scorecard or a check — because of the growth. That horse made me better.
No Risk, No Story
This experience pushed me way outside my comfort zone. And you know what? That’s exactly why I’m so glad I said yes to it. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating — no risk, no story.
If I’d stayed home, I wouldn’t have this story to tell. I wouldn’t have met the amazing competitors and folks who love the horse as much as I do. I wouldn’t have grown the way I did. That colt, as challenging as he was, gave me a lesson I’ll carry for the rest of my life. And the support from my family, friends, and so many of you — it meant the world to me.
So until next time, stay committed, keep putting in the effort, check your attitude, and don’t be afraid to step outside that comfort zone. That’s where the growth is. And as always — today and every day — let’s be our best.
