2011 Trainer Challenge Competitor

Brock is a talented Horseman, Trainer, and Clinician with a pleasant mild manner towards both equines and their human partners.

Nine years ago, Brock Griffith traded a bull riding career to pursue his dream of working with horses. He immersed himself in the study and practice of natural horsemanship, gaining valuable knowledge and skills in this methodology and confidence in its application. His unique style is inspired by a variety of influences, personal experience, and an open mind. Brock is a talented horseman, trainer and clinician with an extraordinary ability to communicate effectively with both horses and their human partners.

In 2008, Brock Griffith won the North Carolina Equine Extravaganza Trainer's Challenge and went on to win the finals at the VA Equine Extravaganza. In 2009, Brock placed 11th in the Extreme Mustang Makeover in Murfreesboro, TN.

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Equine Liability

For over fifteen years Mr. Smith has represented horse owners, breeders, boarding stables, sales companies, racetracks and non-profit equine organizations.  He has extensive experience with a wide variety of equine legal issues including liability cases, purchase and sale disputes, veterinary issues, contracts and releases, partnerships and entity formation.  Mr. Smith owns and rides horses and has been active in several equine organizations and charities.  Mr. Smith has a law degree from the University Of Virginia School Of Law, where he was a member of the Virginia Law Review, and he has a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University. 

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2011 Trainer Challenge Competitor
2 Time Extreme Mustang Makeover Winner
General Training

Chase Dodd - SOS Horsemanship

Chase Dodd is quickly becoming a highly sought after trainer throughout the United States and is someone surely destined to become a household name. Two-time winner of the Extreme Mustang Makeover, Chase has competed in and won a variety of competitions throughout the nation, including multiple colt starting competitions. He also teaches clinics all over the country.

Chase and his wife, Kerry, live on Flattop Mountain in Tennessee. They Live on the family farm and operate their business SOS Horsemanship at Dodd’s Ranch. “Soft, Obedient, Supply” is the model for SOS Horsemanship where they believe understanding your horse is the key to being able to teach him. Their equestrian center consists of twelve hundred acres with 35 miles of trails. As well as two large barns with a banquet hall and living quarters. They have two arenas, a covered arena and uncovered arena.

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Rider Biomechanics

Colleen Kelly started her career in exercise physiology in injury and cardiac rehabilitation gymnasiums. Now, 25 years later, she is one of the world's most sought after keynote speakers, having been invited to speak for Official Equestrian Federations around the world at the Grand Prix (Olympic Level) Judge’s Conference. Her world lecture tour includes Official Equestrian Federations throughout the world, FEI Level Judge’s Clinics & world class conferences such as Horse World Expo, Equitana, Equinexpo, Sporthorse and Equine Extravaganza.

Colleen was elected spokeswoman for the WorkCover Authority of NSW and she has a keen interest in OH&S, seat & posture in the workplace and is the founder of the Kidsafety School Posture Program. Although Colleen is well known for judging at many State, National and Royal Championships, and for receiving a remarkable 100% in her Official Dressage Judge’s Exam, it's her ‘Irish Sense of Humor’ that keeps audiences around the world smiling. Colleen has also received 3 separate awards for her work with Riding for Disabled.

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Saddle Fit

Debra Racheter - Crest Ridge Saddlery

Debra Racheter is the owner and founder of Crest Ridge Saddlery of Lowry City Missouri.  Since 1998, Debra has been professionally fitting horses which led to designing and manufacturing saddles. 

Debra’s impetus in founding Crest Ridge Saddlery was her 17 years as a trail guide at the horseman’s resort she built in North Central Arkansas.  She saw firsthand the problems caused by ill-fitting saddles and the difficulties her customers had in finding quality saddles the fit both horse and rider.  Her experiences led her to become a master saddle fitter, specializing in gaited horses and mules. 

Debra brought and keeps saddle fitting at the forefront. She created one of the first online resources’ for measuring and fitting treed saddles.  Through Crest Ridge Saddlery, she creatively merges a no-nonsense approach to excellence, attention to detail, and concern for the comfort of both the equine and rider. The resulting saddles are beautiful and practical works of art, built by Amish craftsmen from all over the country. 

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Equine Infrared Inspection

Ed Clowes has operated a successful infrared inspection company since 2008 which expanded from his home inspection company.

As a level 1 certified thermographer  and  an entry level infrared camera in hand in 2009 Ed went on and joined a national group, United Infrared, in order to get more specific training in different applications.  One of which was EquineIR, Ed was in the very first class with an experienced Equine thermographer, Peter Hopkins, who developed a standardized procedure for equine thermogrphy. With the United Infrared national group in place they were able to bring on board equine professionals who were also trained in Thermography, Joanna Robson, DVM and Farrier Mike DeLeonardo  as directors.

Ed has found success in many applications of infrared however Equine Infrared is still his favorite, by getting out in front of horses and providing a viable service to the horse owners is the most rewarding of all the different applications Ed does.

Today Ed has upgraded his infrared camera with a more advanced higher resolution infrared camera, and by continuing equine specific training with a reputable national company and hands on experience Ed is a professional EquineIR provider in the State of Virginia.

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Film veteran, stunt man and horse trainer, Doug Sloan and his string of stunt/trick horses have to their credit in many popular movies and TV series.  Doug has more recently been known as the co-host on the weekly RFD-TV series, Best of America by Horseback. When not on a movie set, Doug teaches people and their horses the horsemanship techniques he has learned from working in a variety of films.  These techniques have proven to be successful in establishing a lasting foundation of trust, respect and performance between horse and rider in any discipline. It is Doug's goal to inspire people to work with their own horses with a new purpose which will produce the results and confidence that both horse and rider are looking for.

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Insurance

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Fencing Solutions

With a lifetime of experience in fencing, Ken is nationally considered an expert in his field. He has been in the Wire Industry for over 18 years and has a high level of knowledge in animal behavior and fencing practices. Ken owns horses and cattle, giving him a full understanding of how proper fence selection, safety and security are critical when considering fence.

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Training with Trust
General Training

Gaited Horses

Larry Whitesell has been training gaited horses since 1980. He has been very successful in the show ring, winning many regional, national and grand national championships. He held judges cards in several gaited breeds. In 2002, he was Trainer of the Year.

In the early 1990's, Larry was not satisfied training horses to just win ribbons. He wanted to train "using" or pleasure horses to a very high level, to make a safer, more dependable horse for his clients. Horses trained like this should also do well in the show ring or anywhere else an owner wanted to take them.

Larry began learning classical dressage because he wanted correctness, and liked the lightness and softness these horses showed. Later, after spending time with several "natural horsemen", he felt they were teaching him the same things his classical teachers had. They taught the same movements, philosophy, and basically the same techniques. They just called movements different names and dressed differently. So he continues to learn from both schools.

Now, Larry travels the U.S. and Canada doing clinics and horse fairs. He still primarily spends time training the ultimate pleasure horses for people around the country.

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Trainer Challenge Contestant

Leisha Griffith is an accomplished horsewoman, with a long history in ranching and rodeo. She specializes in barrel racing, equitation, and performance horses. Her passion is not only to continue her development as a student of the horse, but to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with others. Leisha is an insightful, entertaining, inspirational clinician and horsemanship instructor.

In 2010 Leisha won the first All-Women’s Trainer Challenge at Equine Extravangaza.  In 2011 she will be competing in the Extreme Mustang Makeover.

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Trick, Jumping, Bridleless Riding

Lizzy Traband is an inspiration to those she comes in contact with  Born with only one hand, she embraces life with a compassion, determination and dignity that is beyond her years.  She has wonderful results with her animals based on her love of her animals, effort to understand them and consistent and basic training approach.  Born and raised on a sport horse breeding and training farm and having received training from her mom, Tommy Turvey and Eliabeth Solter, all very talented equestrians, she has developed her own program for starting her ponies and taking them right through to competing over fences and riding and jumping bridleless.  She has readily identified key skills and checkpoints for the rider and horse that can readily take any rider and horse combo to a greater level of rideability, achievement and ultimately enjoyment for both the rider and horse during their time spent together.  The beauty is she has taken what others have made very complicated and has made it simple!  Only eleven years old, she presents in a very simplistic, organized and insightful manner that inspired a  “can do” belief in those that see her in action.

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Touched by a Horse

These are just a few of the words that can be used to describe Melisa. She has a background in Psychotherapy, graduated Summa Cum Laude from Arizona State University, and is certified in Gestalt Therapy. As a highly successful entrepreneur, business and personal coach, and motivational speaker, she and her coaching staff, work with a wide variety of business owners, athletes, executives, sales personnel and entrepreneurs. Her leadership skills have taken her one of the top positions in a direct sales company. She is often a keynote speaker, emcee and corporate trainer.

Aside from her many business ventures, Melisa is a highly accomplished horsewoman. Her love of horses began as a small child and she has devoted her life to raising championship APHA Paint horses on their Lil Bit North Ranch, which is nestled along the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies. She competes on both the Regional and World levels in a variety of categories. Her pride and joy is her gorgeous 3 time World Championship stallion, Go Robin Bar, who has sired many other champions in the making. Raising horses has been a long and productive endeavor. For most of her adult years she has also hosted boarders at two of her large facilities and been active in the horse community overall.

Inspired by the relationship with horses as well as her background in psychotherapy, the event Touched by a Horse™ was born. The program incorporates time with the horses and deep personal exploration. As the equine partner mirrors the person's traits and emotions, the process unfolds. The feedback and communication from the participants following their "Touched by a Horse" experience has been truly inspirational. As one past participant stated "the unique nature of the program allowed me to recognize various behavior patterns that have limited me. This new level of awareness has increased my capacity in both my business and personal life. Thank you Melisa."

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Mustang Handling and Training

Mike Branch has traveled with the BLM all over the eastern United States at various wild mustang adoptions to give demos on the gentling process of the untamed horse. Many times Mike has had wild mustangs saddled and ridden in less than one to two hours.

Mike Branch was also invited to Brandon, MB Canada, in 2008 to compete in their first ever “Road to the Horse” type event, where he went up against the four time cowboy hall of famer Mel Hyland, Mike and Mel are now great friends (it doesn’t matter who won, it’s about the horse).

In March 2009 Mike was invited to England to meet some of the wild pony societies there and to see if he could do anything with an Exmoor pony that had been deemed “unbackable” by three professional trainers. Mike took on this challenge, was on the pony in an hour, and was asked to come back and do clinics and demos from Devon in the South of England to North Umberland in the north. Mike now makes an annual trek to England to share his knowledge there.

Mike has also been featured on BBC television show “Edwardian Farm”, where he demonstrated his wild horse gentling techniques with a wild Dartmoor pony, has been featured on BBC radio, and received formal introductions to certain members of the royal family.

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Trailer Safety

Neva Kittrell Scheve has authored three books on horse trailering.  Her latest, along with husband Tom, is The Complete Guide to Buying, Maintaining, and Servicing a Horse Trailer. With over 22 years in the horse trailer industry, Neva has led the way in promoting horse trailer safety through innovative designs, research, and education – her most recent design being the 3 Horse SafeLoad ™. Bedsides doing clinics and seminars throughout the country, Neva, with husband Tom, write numerous articles on horse trailer safety for national magazines.  Their latest, Tow Vehicle Math Made Easy, appeared in the July issue of Practical Horseman. And later this summer, Driving A Horse Trailer will appear in Equus. Owners of EquiSpirit Trailers, Tom and Neva reside in Southern Pines, NC. For more info, visit www.equispirit.com. Or call, 1-877-575-1771.

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General Training

Randy Abernathy has over 20 years experience working with horses. He grew up on a small farm in Virginia where his family farmed, raised cattle and horses. He has been riding since the age of 10. Randy has been very fortunate to be able to study under and learn from some of the best horsemen in the world. Randy conducts clinics in the US as well as Europe. He has performed at expo’s and has been helping people with their horses for many years. He tries to help people think about their horses differently. He knows that once a horse’s owner changes the way he or she thinks about horses, that improves the horse’s life forever. Trying to understand the way horses think and their language has been a lifelong pursuit of Randy’s. Now, not only is Randy becoming recognized and respected as a horseman but as a spiritual teacher as well. He realized along time ago that your horse is merrily a reflection of what you know and understand about them. When you change the way you think, it changes every aspect of your life from how you get along with horses to how you get along with people.

Randy was selected as one of the trainers for the 2006 East Coast Trainer Challenge.

www.randyabernathy.com

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RDOC Dog Obedience Club is an all volunteer organization dedicated to improving the relationship between pets and people by teaching responsible dog ownership and obedience classes. We are the only dog obedience organization in Richmond area granted a license by the American Kennel Club to hold obedience trials. Founded in 1959, the club has an excellent national reputation for outstanding training.

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General Training

Scott picked out his first horse after only a few months of riding, which began his show career at age 6. He also worked as an intern with Quarter Horse trainer Ken Adkins in West Virginia. Scott has dedicated himself to bringing horses and people together through mutual respect and trust. Scott works primarily by giving individual, customized attention to students. He also maintains 12 horses for full training or breaking. Some of his work includes breaking and training BLM Mustangs, Sport Horses, Quarter Horses, ex-race horses, and he has broken 2 year olds for the track. He also teaches on-site trailer loading lessons. In his spare time, he shows Western Pleasure at both local and AQHA shows.

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Retired Racehorse Retraining Project

Steuart Pittman is based at Dodon Farm in Davidsonville, MD, where he breeds and trains horses primarily for eventing. He is best known for America's only living Thoroughbred stallion, Salute the Truth, who he successfully evented at the Advanced level. Steuart grew up riding retired racehorses and became a professional by selling horses from Mid-Atlantic tracks. Steuart also uses his energy, vision and ability to inspire people as President of the Maryland Horse Council. Steuarts' wife, Erin Pittman, heads the Equine Program at the University of Maryland's Institute of Applied Agriculture and his daughter, Jesse is a college student. Steuart and Erin became proud parents of twins, Sam and Andy, in August of this year. They already have rocking horses.

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2011 Trainer Challenge Competitor
General Training, Arabians

Before coming to notoriety as the equine industry's most popular up-and-coming clinician, Tommy Garland gained recognition as one of the country's best trainers and most successful showmen of Arabian and Half Arabian horses.

Garland has ridden horses virtually all his life. Tommy credits his trainer father, also named Tommy, with much of his early learning about horsemanship. The younger Garland grew up under his father's tutelage training Quarter Horses, Saddlebreds, mules, walking horses and Arabians.

In 1985, Tommy left the family training business to strike out training Arabians for Deep Meadow Farm in Waynesboro, VA. Arabians quickly became the center for the next 20 plus years of Garland's show career which has included a multitude of national U.S., Brazilian and Canadian titles in Western Pleasure and Hunter Pleasure with Arabians and Half-Arabians

Garland was voted the Western Pleasure Trainer of the Year in 2002 by the Arabian Professional and Amateur Horseman's Association and has received multiple nominations by his peers for Hunter Pleasure and Western Pleasure Trainer of the Year.

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Riding for Beginners, From the Ground UP!

Vicki Sherry Moore is the founder of Safe Start Equine. A dynamic speaker, for twenty five years, Victoria has been instructing students in horseback riding. She specializes in the beginner horse enthusiast.  

Victoria received her instruction in Equestrian Science at William Woods University, Fulton, Missouri and is well qualified in coaching both adults and children who wish to begin their experience with horses. She maintains a quiet calm and emphasizes safe handling of the horse and rider. Her experience includes western disciplines, recreational riding, hunt seat, dressage, driving and English pleasure. Victoria currently competes in the open show arenas in her area in halter, showmanship, trail, and western pleasure. 

Her love of horses has led her to coaching all types of students from 4H groups to being an adjunct professor for Thomas Nelson Community College. Her motto is “In God, All Things Are Possible.”

You may contact Victoria Sherry Moore at vswp140@gmail.com

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Speaking of Horses TV

Wayne Williams

Mr. Williams has a long background in Radio both on the air as a disc jockey as well as newscaster along with working behind the scenes in sales and production.  

Mr. Williams has always been involved with horses.  Since age 6 to the present, he has involved himself with horses. He has appeared in Parades from the Indianapolis 500 Parade to the Rose Bowl Parade, exhibited  in Open and Palomino shows, and most recently, he and wife Pat pay tribute to Roy Rogers and Dale Evans  on Horseback with Silver Saddles and costumes of the era.    Mr. Williams has totally dedicated himself to the Equine Industry since 1985. This is when a part time passion became a full time career. 

Mr. Williams began mixing his announcing background with horses as the “Voice of the Midwest Horse Fair”. He has become the “Voice of over 20 top Horse Expo’s Nationwide and in Canada. He also aids many Expo’s in presenting entertainment on horseback and various equine acts.  

For relaxation Wayne enjoys Trail Riding and camping with wife Pat, in addition to riding in parades, and be the man “Behind the Microphone. 

He is the Host of “Speaking of Horses”  Radio and TV which continually brings a variety of Equine information to you at your fingertips on www.speakingofhorses.com.  And Now on Dish channel 9411.

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