He is the ex-bull rider, turned pleasure horse trainer out of Staunton, Virginia.

He’s 32-year-old trainer, Lucas Cash.

Born in Waynesboro, Virginia to parents Scott and Gail Cash, Lucas grew up in the horse industry.

“My father showed from the time I can remember,” he says.

Starting out as an amateur exhibitor, the elder Cash became a trainer of western performance horses when Lucas was 8.

Initially, Cash wasn’t interested in the horse industry. Growing up, he liked being around the horses and riding around the farm, but didn’t get in the show ring till much later. “I didn’t actually show my first horse until I was 16,” he says. He and “Cowboy” ended up placing first in the Western Pleasure that day.

Right around the same time, the rodeo world caught his attention and after graduating from Stuarts Draft High School, he made the decision to pursue his bull riding dream. “I really liked the excitement and freedom of rodeoing,” he says.

But Cash never fully left the industry. He was still going to 20 to 25 horse shows a year and learning as much as he could from his father during that time.

Then, in 2007, the sport caught up with him and old injuries caused him to reevaluate. He was eventually won over by the horse industry and decided to make the family training business his priority.

“He just taught me so much when it comes to training,” Cash says of his father.

When taking over the business from his father, the focal point was on pleasure horses. Cash eventually expanded his focus to include the performance halter classes, Hunter Under Saddle, and the western all-around.

Now, the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) and American Paint Horse Association (APHA) Professional Horseman has accepted and started his full-time position as Head Trainer at Hylton Quarter Horses in Gainesville, Virginia.

“It is my job to prepare our show string for the Hylton family as well as promote the young horses coming up through the breeding program.”

He will be preparing Invite Moonlight for the Senior Western Pleasure, Regal Intention for the Novice Amateur Pleasure with George Markley and U Know U Wanna Watch with Jamie Hylton. Too Sleepy to Sparkle for the Green Western Pleasure, I Can Only Imagine for the Performance Halter classes with Cecilia Hylton as well as himself, Dance If U Wanna in Hunter Under Saddle events, and futurity 2-year-olds from the Hylton breeding program located in Whitesboro, Texas. These futurity horses will be started in Texas by Will Knabenshue.

Cecilia Hylton has had a love affair with horses since she was 11. “I never had any training, it was just get on a pony and ride,” she explains.

It was an interest she never grew out of and when her father passed in 1989 of pancreatic cancer, she decided to dive into the horse industry head first.

“After he passed, I just felt like I needed to get out and do something that I enjoy,” she says.

Now, the horse mogul has three stallions in her name along with a heard of premium brood mares.

Invitation To Flash is a 2004 bay stallion by Invitation Only and out of Ms Flamin Flash. In 2008, he was the AQHA Open World Champion Performance Halter Stallion and named the AQHA Honor Roll High Point Green Western Pleasure Stallion. He stands at McEquine Enterprises in Whitesboro, Texas and is managed by Knabenshue Performance Horses.

Hylton has made her mark on the Reining world with her purchase of Slip Slydun Away, a 1996 bay stallion by Mister Slydun Pine and out of Cowgirls Cody. He’s earned $37,000 over the course of his career, he has an AQHA Superior in Reining, multiple Top 10 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) placings, and was the AQHA World Champion in Senior Reining in 2008 with Casey Hinton. He stands at Cedar Ridge Station in Whitesboro, Texas.

The youngest and newest project of this threesome is Doya Think Im Flashy, a bay Stallion by Flashy Zipper and out of Widow Rider. He is also in Whitesboro, Texas with trainer Will Knabenshue. At the 2013 AQHA World Show, the two were the Reserve Intermediate Champions and Top 10 overall in the Open Performance Halter Stallions. The pair also participates in the Ranch Pleasure classes.

“We are excited about the future of this young stud,” says Hylton. “I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

With her empire of stallions, brood mares, and show horses, Hylton decided she needed someone to manage her personal show string in Virginia.

In July of 2013, the training position at Hylton Quarter Horses opened. Hylton says Cash stepped up to the plate as the intermediary head trainer while she looked for a replacement.

Cash had worked with Hylton for the past five years; breaking out colts, going to shows with the barn, even showing a few of her horses.

“He was very laid back,” Hylton says of Cash. She liked his style and offered Cash the full-time position in August.

It was an easy “yes” for Cash.

Hylton says she is very excited for the New Year and to work with the young trainer. “I’ve seen him coach his youth kids and his amateurs, and I really like his manner,” she explains.

Cash says he is excited about the opportunity to work for Hylton Quarter Horses.

“So far, it is great. It has got to be the best job you could ever ask for,” he says. “Cecilia and all the family are great to deal with. I mean, anything you need, they take care of it and I get to ride great horses.”

He goes on to say that three of the five horses he concentrates on are already World Champions.

He says his biggest challenge on the job will be to keep the level of world class competition that Hylton has established over the years. However, he is excited to work with horses that are so well received by the current pleasure industry.

In November, the Cash family of five made the move to Gainesville, Virginia to start their new lives with the Hyltons.

The family includes Cash’s wife of five years, Stephanie, who he met through the rodeo circuit- she was a barrel racer- and their three boys; Lane, 11, Cody, 8 and Bryson, 4. Cody has already shown an interest in the horses and has even gotten in the show pen a couple times. In July 2013, he was the American Ranch Horse Association (ARHA) World Champion in Youth 2 & Under Halter Mares with Orkies All Star. Apparently, like son, like father, because a few days later, Cash was the World Champion in 2-Year-Old Ranch Riding on the same horse.

When Cash isn’t training or traveling to horse shows, he is supporting his three boys in their wrestling and football careers.

“Between sports for the kids and horses for the work, we don’t have a whole lot of time for much else,” Cash explains.