“It’s always a tough decision to make each year,” states Miki Cohen, President of the Western States Horse Expo. “There are always so many good nominations for our Hall of Fame. And certainly the three previous inductees, Frank Vessels, Ray Hunt, and Dr. Robert Miller, are exemplary figures in our industry.

“But this year one name leaped out from the pile of nominations that were being judged by our committee. The packet nominating Pat Parelli pointed out so many important things about what Pat has contributed to the horse industry.

“We all know that Pat’s a fabulous showman, but above that, he has developed a system of education for people of all skill levels– and he was one of the very first to ever create anything like that. What he’s developed is something extraordinary that people can learn at home or from Parelli instructors or at the Parelli ranches. Plain and simple, Pat’s system teaches safety and invites people to have fun with their horses in a progressive manner, from ground work to riding.

“What I don’t think people understand, though, is that so many folks get out of the horse world because they become afraid and don’t know what to do, or horses are no longer fun for them. Typically that person gets rid of their horses, and the horse industry really suffers because of that kind of situation. That’s where Pat Parelli’s system has made such a difference– it’s filled in that big blank in the industry. In my opinion Pat’s helped keep people connected to their horses, and keep them from leaving the horse world. And it’s not as though Pat’s system is just for beginners, either; he’s developed his program so that everyone, from first-time owners to Olympic riders, can benefit from his teaching