There are two very important lessons that Ray Carmean has always remembered throughout his 40-plus year career as a professional horse trainer – 1) Never push. Take your time with young horses and they will tell YOU when they are ready; and 2) Break them so other people can ride them. Carmean didn’t originally set […]
For Larken Elianna McCampbell, of Mableton, Georgia 2019 was a year to remember. She and her show partner, The Next Big Hit (Andre), earned a circuit championship every time they competed. They were unanimous champions in Level 1 and Youth 14-18 Hunter Under Saddle at the Lucky 7 Circuit. And, the pair ended the year […]
Age: 37 Family: Wife, Joanna; sons, Silas, 13 and Caleb, 12; parents, Jim & Judy Himes. Hometown: Albany, Georgia. Education: Homeschooled for high school and then attended the two-year Miracle Mountain Ranch School of Discipleship program in Spring Creek, Pennsylvania. The facility: JH Performance Horses is located in Albany, Georgia, and consists of our residence, […]
Age: 37. Family: Parents, Donald and Stephanee Flentje; siblings, Gina, Chad and Mya Flentje. Hometown: Verona, Wisconsin. Spouse: Ben Shortreed. We met during my freshman year in college and married in 2015. We currently don’t have any children but that about to change. This past December we hosted an orphaned girl from Colombia for the […]
Age: 17. Hometown: Chelsea, Michigan. Education: II will be graduating this year with honors from Chelsea High School. In the fall I will be attending the University of South Carolina, studying engineering and riding on the equestrian team. How I got involved with horses: My mom always said that before I could stand, I loved anything […]
Age: 36 Family: Mother, Aileen Bryant, St. Anthony, Iowa. Home Town: Alden, Iowa. Education: Graduate of Alden High School and attended Ellsworth Community College. The facility: Includes a 16-stall barn with apartment, wash rack and attached 80-by-100-foot arena situated on 25 acres beautifully appointed with pipe fencing in Willard, Missouri. It also features four large […]
Age: 19. Parents: Todd and Pam Delagrange. Hometown: Woodburn, Indiana. Education: Graduated from Leo High School in 2018; attending Indiana University in Fort Wayne. After 1.5 years in pre-med I switched my major to nursing. Occupation: I am just now starting a position in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Parkview Regional Medical Center as […]
If you ask Shawn Johnson how she became involved in showing horses, she will chuckle and tell you that she never really had a choice in the matter. Shawn’s parents, Francis and Delores Schanen had horses long before Shawn was born. As soon as they married Shawn’s parents bought property in Grafton, Wisconsin where they […]
It’s been said that a goal without a plan is just a wish. Iowa professional trainer Denton DeBuhr must have heard that along his way because it’s the first two things he wants to discuss with his clients. “I like to let the horse tell me what they are ready for,” he explained. “I try […]
A tiny miniature pony Blakely Abbott received as a Christmas gift from her grandfather when she was just 4 years old sparked the Georgia youth competitor’s passion for showing horses, even though there were a few detours along the way. Bakely first expressed an interest in showing horses in 2013 but ultimately opted to pursue […]
To 46-year-old Donnie Recchiuti, of Heath, Ohio, watching horses that he started, trained and exhibited still in the show arena competing and winning at the industry’s biggest events, is all the reward he needs. “I always feel a sense of achievement because it’s a testament to the foundation they were given and the hands they […]
For Cave Creek, Arizona professional trainer Erica Owen, her own training business wasn’t exactly planned but since taking over her boss’ business after she retired Owen has thrived doing what she loves. Growing up in Stanley, New York, Owen began riding at the age of 3. Her maternal grandmother had horses even before she was […]
