Heath McNeill says the best part about being a horse trainer is having the opportunity to take a colt or filly that knows nothing, and taking it all the way to a finished show horse.

And, as a 40-year-old professional trainer he says he’s lucky to get to do a part of that every day.

McNeill and his brother and sister grew up in North Carolina. The son of Carey McNeill and the late Ellen McNeill, Heath played baseball and soccer and was a member of the Future Farmers of America all four years at Trinity High School.

“We had horses for as long as I can remember,” McNeill said. “My family did Barrel Racing and Pleasure horses.”

Following his graduation from high school in 1994, McNeill went to work for Donnie Dickerson in Mt Airy, North Carolina.

“He gave me some good advice that I carry with me still,” McNeill said. “He always said ‘You will never go broke taking a profit.’”

McNeill also worked under the guidance of Barbra Prather (1996-1998), Mark Shaffer (1998-2000) and the Carefree Ranch (2000-2003). In 2003 Heath established McNeill Performance Horses in Climax, North Carolina, and started training on his own. It was during that time that he met his wife, Kimberly (Hatfield).

“Jamie Murrow introduced us at the 2009 Turkey Circuit in Raleigh, North Carolina,” McNeill said. “We went out to dinner and the rest is history.”

In 2010 McNeill went to work for Brian and Dawn Baker in Sunbury, Ohio, where he stayed until re-establishing McNeill Performance Horses in Ohio in 2011. On Sept. 22, 2012, Heath and Kimberly were married and they welcomed a son, Maddox, the following September.

“My son brings out the best of me,” McNeill said. “And he has taught me not to sweat the small stuff.”

The McNeills currently operate their training bushiness out of Skip and Carol Salome’s facility in Newark, Ohio. It includes a 14-stall heated show barn, an additional 16-stall barn, three round pens, a 60-by-120 indoor arena with a heated observation room, a 100-by-200 outdoor arena and numerous large turnouts.

“We prepare ApHC, AQHA and APHA Western Pleasure, Hunter Under Saddle and futurity horses for open, youth and amateur competition,” Heath said. “Our facility is also open to a limited number of boarders.”

Over the years Heath has had the opportunity to train and/or show such decorated horses as: Shoulda Astor Faster, multiple World Champion; SFC Zip Past The Bar, (multiple World Champion; Blazing Hot Machine, futurity winner; One Hot Chip, World Champion; A Burning Melody, Futurity Winner; Zippo Dancer, World Champion; and Chips And Roses, World Champion.

He has also coached Anna Ellis to multiple ApHC World Championship titles; Bill Myers to multiple ApHC World Show wins; Wayne Smith, to numerous futurity wins and ApHC World Show honors.

When he’s not in the saddle, Heath enjoys watching sports and spending time with his family. You might be surprised to learn that he also enjoys cooking and has a cousin, Jerome Davis, who is a Professional Bull Riders World Champion.

For more information on McNeill Performance Horses call Heath at (336) 239-3684 or Kim at (336) 309-8447 or visit them on Facebook.