Josh Faulkner’s parents say his first word was “horse.”

That’s something they find ironic since neither of them owned or were involved with horses whatsoever when he was born. Growing up in Burlington, North Carolina the son of Glen and Vicky Faulkner wanted nothing more than to own a horse. Finally, at the age of 5 he wore his parents down and they traded a few cows for a mare and foal. Over the next few years Faulkner ran speed events and trail rode until he acquired his first show horse at 15. Once he got a taste of showing on a national level he knew it would eventually develop into a career.

“I grew up in a lower middle class farming family that couldn’t pay for me to consistently show on a national level like I wanted to, and it was something that once I got a taste of I wasn’t willing to not be able to do it at that level,” Faulkner recalled. “The only option was to make a job of it!”

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 says that is so far, the achievement he’s most proud of and he plans to test to get his American Paint Horse Association and National Snaffle Bit Association Judge’s cards next year and an American Quarter Horse Association card the year after.

After college Faulkner felt it was time for him to open his own training facility and he joined forced with Dana and Wendy Jones in Raleigh, North Carolina. There he coached their two daughters and took in a few outside horses. When they parted ways, Faulkner had the opportunity to move about 10 miles away and took on some customers that were established in a brand, new facility, Sapphire Farms. The facility catered to American Paint Horse Association exhibitors and Faulkner worked out of there for a year or so.

In 2013 he moved to Charleston, South Carolina to work for Tracey Hehr, hauling her and her twin (then) 11-year-olds Sheldon and Isabella.

“I also had a few outside horses there and was there for three amazing years,” Faulkner said.

Faulkner says his favorite part about being a trainer is developing new riders and coaching them into successful competitors. Over the years he has done just that with many of his youth riders including Zippos Cuervo and Greyson Marshall, 2016 PtHA World Champion in Senior Youth Western Pleasure Ideal and Novice Youth Western Pleasure Ideal; Isabella Hehr and Doctor Can Dee, 2016 Reserve World Champion APHjA Novice Youth Horsemanship, Reserve World Champion APHjA 13&Under Western Riding, Reserve World Champion PtHA Novice Youth Western Pleasure; Sheldon Hehr and Innocent Sensation, 2016 Intermediate Reserve World Champion APHjA 13&Under Western Pleasure, PtHA Reserve World Champion Youth Western Pleasure Ideal; Lacey Bohn and Fond Of Lucky Money, AQHA High Point Rookie of the Year Top 5; and Tracey Hehr and Freakin Lazy, 2016 PtHa Amateur Ideal Western Pleasure World Champion, Amateur Western Pleasure Reserve World Champion and 2015 APHA Intermediate Reserve World Champions.

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.

Faulkner recently moved to Ocala, Florida, where he has been building his business and getting back into Quarter Horses. He is working out of Shirley Roth’s facility where there are 25 stalls, two round pens, two arenas (one equipped with mirrors), a six-horse walker, six turn out paddocks and two pastures all on 20 acres. Here he specializes mainly in Western Pleasure and Hunter Under Saddle, but also does some western all around events.

“I’m excited to see what the future holds with the great group of clients and horses I have now,” Faulkner said.

When he’s not in the barn Faulkner enjoys going to the gym, the lake or the beach. He also likes attending concerts, cooking or grilling and just hanging out with friends. Faulkner tries to live a healthy, balanced life doing what he loves for a living around the people he loves.

“I try to remember what my dear friend Alex Blackwood used to say to me ‘Be yourself and live life the way that makes you happy. The people that love you will always be there and the people who don’t like it didn’t deserve to be in your life in the first place,’” Faulkner said.

For more information about Josh Faulkner Show Horses you can reach him at (336) 693-4001 or by email at jgfhorses@gmail.com.