Growing up around horses and cattle in northwestern Wyoming, it seemed only natural that I would gravitate toward rodeos and then eventually training and showing horses. I have been training horses since my boyhood, having started and trained my first colt when I was 12 years old. Since then I have had the benefit of working for and with some of the best “horsemen” in the country. I worked for Bill and Carole Smith, on the WYO Quarter Horse Ranch in the early 1980’s, helping to prepare horses for their annual sale, training mostly rope horses and starting colts. It was under Bill’s guidance that I was introduced to the methods of Ray Hunt and learning to “feel” my horses rather than force my horses. Later, I would have the opportunity to ride with Ray and advance my skills.
Always looking for a challenge, a friend of mine introduced me to the world of the reined cowhorse and my journey towards becoming a “horseman” began in earnest. I have ridden with and learned from several notables in the cowhorse and cutting world such as, Sandy Collier the first and only worman to win the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity, NRCHA HAll of Famer Smoky Pritchett, 15 time World Champion Les Vogt, cutting horse trainers Teddy Johnson and Chubby Turner. I have also learned a great deal from my good friends NRCHA Hall of Fame member Bobby Ingersoll and 2008 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Limited Open Champion, Tommy Thompson. With the guidance of these very successful individuals, I have formed my own training program for Cutting and Reined Cowhorses, it works very well on training rope horses as well.
As a trainer of cowhorses, I have had success at all levels of this event, from training and showing in limited age events, 3-year-old futurity and 4&5-year-old derby horses, to advancing them to hackamore, two rein and bridle horse phases of their training. In 2005, the 5-year-old AQHA Stallion, “Mr Sun O Ferckles” was trained and shown by me to win the NRCHA National Championship and Reserve Championship at the NRCHA World Show in the Limited Open Hackamore. He was also sixth nationally in the Open Hackamore that same year. The next year I returned to the NRCHA World Show with horses in the Open Bridle, Open Two Rein, and Open Hackamore classes. 2007 and 2008 were spent broadening my experience by honing my skills in the cutting pen. With limited showing in 2009, I had success at the Wyoming Snaffle Bit Futurity showing JNS Blue Gin. I am a PRCA Reserve Pro Officail with an A rating and was selected to judge the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
My proudest accomplishments however are my family, my wife Debbie, who is becomming an accomplished cutter and my daughter Kaitlyn, who qualified and competed at the NCHA World Finals in Amarillo, Texas. She placed in both go-rounds, qualified for the finals, placing fifth and eighth overall at the show. Without them, none of my accomplishments would have been possible or meaningful.
Someday, I hope to be considered a “horseman” but until then I will continue the learning process on the journey toward that destination.
