AQHA Professional Horsemen Josh Faulkner and Jamie Kittle have joined forces and formed a new training operation in Ocala, Florida.

Faulkner attended Southern Alamance High School, where he was heavily involved in the Agriculture/FFA program in high school, being an officer of the local FFA Chapter. In 2003, he earned an All-American Quarter Horse Congress Championship in the Horse Judging Contest.

He went on to study at North Carolina State University, Arkansas State University-Beebe and Greensboro College where he was a member of the Horse Judging Team, Dairy Judging Team & Plant ID Team.

Faulkner got his start working for Dana and Wendy Jones in Raleigh and Tracey Hehr in Charleston, South Carolina where he and his clients earned numerous APHA & PTHA, World and Reserve Championships.  Over the years, he’s had the opportunity to work beside such successful trainers as Alan Fisher, Shane and Cindy Young, Ronald Bartlett, Paul and Tammy Thurston, Shirley Roth, Brian Isbell, Shane Pope, Erik Martin, Doug Pratt, Andy Cochran, Chris Grey, David Miller and Scott Jones. This, he says, helped him become the horseman and trainer he is today.

Most recently he has been the head trainer at Leavell Farms in Simpsonville, Kentucky where he coached the family, started the young horses and managed the breeding program.

“The Leavell family has been just that, family to me and I’m grateful for the opportunity that they’ve given me, and we have succeeded in quite a few goals in life together,” Faulkner said.

Kittle has been riding his entire life. His siblings and he are 5^th generation farm kids from Novinger. Missouri. Growing up his family raised beef cattle and much of the work was done on horseback. Kittle says one of his earliest childhood memories is riding on the farm helping with the cows.

He began his training career at 15 when he was offered a job starting colts for a friend of the family, Wayne Burns. When it came time for college Kittle chose The University of Findlay so he could continue his equine studies. He graduated with an Associated of Arts in Equestrian Studies with an emphasis in Western Riding.

After college Kittle went to work for CR Bradley where he got to ride a mixed variety of barrel horses, rope horses and ranch riders as well as starting colts to AQHA Superhorses. After that he was an assistant to Bruce Vickery and Anthony Montes in Pilot Point,Texas for three years. There he says he was able to develop a true interest in Trail that has remained one of his favorite classes to watch as well as show. In 2021 Kittle decided to leave the Vickery program to improve his understanding of what many consider the foundation of any show horse. The Western Pleasure. So, in the Fall of 2021 he accepted a position at Cochran Show Horses as their assistant where he’s spent the last two years.

The new venture will be located in Ocala, Florida. The facility boasts 8 stalls, six 200’ x 200’ paddocks, two pastures with run in sheds and a 60 foot, high sided round pen.

“I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to be out on my own and make my own decisions,” Kittle said. “I have worked my hardest these last 10 years to help others be successful and I am blessed to have a chance to put my own name on the horses I ride”

We wish them the best of luck!