2018 Greatmats National Horse Trainer of the Year Contest
Vote for the horse trainer you think should be named the 2018 Greatmats National Horse Trainer of the Year!
Voting runs Nov. 15-29, 2018
333 Ranch
10/26/18
Pride, Louisiana
American Equine Scenting Association
10-30-18
Argyle, MN
Bertrand Training Stables
9/9/18
Crowley, LA
Ms. Rachel Bertrand is an amazing trainer and I would like to nominate her for the trainer of the year award!
Ms. Rachel's service is a step above the rest, she loves and treats every horse that enters her program as her own. I honestly didn’t expect to make a lifelong friend by sending my horse to a trainer but thats exactly what you get when you entrust her with your horse. During training she remained in constant contact with me to update me on progress and to schedule visits and rides, even after training was complete she would always take time out of her day to call and check on how things were going once the horse was back home. There were multiple times I had questions and would call Ms. Rachel and she was always available to talk and offer advice or riding tips. She has been training and riding horses her whole life and is one of, if not the most knowledgable person I know in the industry and I have recommended her to many friends. She is a one woman show; she rides, feeds, bathes, trims, and mucks stalls for multiple horses every single day every day of the year. I honestly believe she deserves this award and I hope you offer her the opportunity to be one of the trainers with a chance to win the award.
Bill Thomas Performance Horses
8/31/2018
Saginaw, MI
CW Horsemanship
June 23, 2018
Hillsborough, NC
Chelsie Natural Horsemanship
10-31-18
Holbrook, AZ
Costa Nova Farm
Sept 2018
Summers End Show Ocala Florida
I want to nominate Tom Johnson of Costa Nova Farm, Pierson Florida.
Tom is such an amazing person. 2 years ago, I adopted my American Saddlebred, “Ro and Me’s Gypsy Moon from Saving Grace for Equines. He was saved from a kill lot. I am a school teacher and my husband is a Police Sergeant, so honestly I could never afford a Saddlebred that would be nice enough to show at rated shows.
Well Moon ended up being registered after we did DNA testing, and he is a very very nice horse. I met Tom at a show 2 years ago and was so excited that he had moved into the county that I lived in. Tom is a National level morgan trainer, who was nice enough to take me under his wing!
Tom is such a compassionate and understanding trainer! He can be tough, but he is one of the best instructors that I have ever ridden under! He is amazing with children and I have watched him work with his grandchildren, who he got custody of, without knowing this was going to happen! He has made their lives so much better! He has such a kind way of working with children and helping them to learn respect and responsibility.
Tom has helped me in many ways. He doesn’t mind that I keep my horse at home and that he helps me put the finishing touches. He lets me bring Moon over when I need to. He helps me out by letting me groom for him, to help offset the cost of my show fees! He is funny and kind and I consider him a friend now, not just my trainer.
Tom Johnson has helped me be able to show at shows that I never though that I would be able to. Because of his help, my rescued free Saddlebred is competing against the #2 Western Saddlebred in the world, and is hanging in right behind him. I am forever grateful for the help that Tom Johnson has given me and the friendship that we have created.
Tom leading my horse "Ro and Me’s Gypsy Moon," into the Championship Class.
Diamond Bar Z
09/2017
Coos Bay, Oregon
Diamond in the Rough Horsemanship and Training
3-31-18
Fort Lupton, Colorado
Drifter's Hearts of Hope
10-9-18
Franktown, CO
Enchanted Equine Adventures LLC
10/9/18
Albuquerque, NM
Fox Mask Basic Horsemanship
03/12/18
Chandler, AZ
Haven Horse ranch
10/23/18
Saint Augustine, FL
Helton's Horsemanship
August 31, 2016
McDowell Saddle and Bridle Club, McDowell NC
Joyner Arabians
10/23/18
Canutillo, Texas
I’m nominating John M. Joyner, Jr. for National Horse Trainer of the Year because he truly personifies this award’s criteria of high-level service, integrity and quality. I came to know him when I was looking for a trainer for my horse, Max. I had restarted riding at 58 on an 18-year-old former racehorse who had a long string of owners and had never found a discipline he truly excelled in. JJ worked with both of us and today, Max is a totally different horse. If someone had told me six months ago that the judge at our first dressage schooling show would describe us as a "beautifully presented team," I would have laughed. JJ helped me develop a level of communication with Max that has calmed him down and made him a very responsive horse. He is a joy to ride now and has a forever home with me. I've worked with a lot of trainers over the years and am really impressed with JJ’s ability to tailor his training methods to a system that worked for an elderly rider and a horse who was pretty skittish from past bad training experiences.
Service and Integrity
JJ served in the U.S. Army and continues to support active duty and retired military service members and their families with discounted board and services. The tradition of military service is multi-generational in his family: his father is a WWII veteran and his son is currently serving in the military. When the Los Compadres Therapeutic Horsemanship group needed a new home, he gave them reduced board and dedicated arena space at his stables. JJ and his wife, Dani, also feed the group's horses twice per day, which minimizes the volunteer time required for horse maintenance activities. JJ serves on the University of Texas-El Paso’s Institutional Biosafety/Recombinant DNA Committee and is a member of the American Business Clubs, a civic organization focused on improving mobility options for physically challenged individuals of all ages. He is also a member of Six Guns and Shady Ladies, a historical re-enactment group that shares stories of the old West with schools, civic groups and historical preservation societies.
Quality
To help ensure a high caliber of local competition options in our area, JJ organized the All Breed dmDickason Invitational of the Southwest Horse Show. It is now in its 6th year and has become a strong regional show, attracting riders from several states.
JJ’s Arabian breeding and training track record has been stellar. His horses have won over 25 national top ten awards in various activities including: National Championship 2-year-old Arabian Sport Horse Filly National Championship Arabian Sport Stallion, Sport Horse in Hand Dressage Type Arabian Sport Yearling Filly Reserve National Champion Reserve National Champion All-Age Mare Amateur to Handle 3 Reserve National Championships in Driving 2 Reserve National Championships in Hand.
What impresses me most about JJ is that he has accomplished enough to limit his activities to clients who compete professionally, yet he continues to share his expertise with riders of all skill levels in a very down-to-earth, relatable way. I consider him a good friend as well as a trainer.
No Company just an extremely satisfied and happy client
June 10 2018
Overview Equestrian Center, Belvidere NJ
Rackettown Mustangs
10-31-18
Toombs County, GA
Seven Oaks Farm
6/19/2015
Hamilton, Ohio
Sundsbak Performance Horses
July, 2016
Hazen, ND
Up North Stables
06/15/2014
Derby Vermont
Want to honor a horse trainer for his/her outstanding achievements, unique style, humanitarian or animal rights efforts, etc.? Then nominate him/her for the 4th Annual National Horse Trainer of the Year Award, sponsored by Greatmats. The award, part of Greatmats National Award Series, is designed to recognize Horse Trainers who have made a difference in the lives of their clients, animals and community through the virtues of service, integrity and quality.
Learn more about Greatmats National Award Series.How to Nominate
To nominate the trainer for this award, visit https://www.greatmats.com/2018-greatmats-national-horse-trainer-of-the-year.php or email the following information to brett@greatmats.com before Nov. 1, 2018. Nominators will not be identified.
- Trainer's Name Name and location of the training facility (Must be located in the USA)
- A brief description of why you are nominating this trainer, including how he/she meets the criteria of high-level service, integrity and quality
- A photo and/or video of the trainer
How the winner is chosen:
- Voting will take place at https://www.greatmats.com/2018-greatmats-national-horse-trainer-of-the-year.php from Nov. 15 through Nov. 29, 2018. The two horse trainers with the most votes will be named finalists.
- Greatmats will judge the two finalists to determine the winner based on:
- Demonstration of Service
- Demonstration of Integrity
- Demonstration of Quality
Grand Prize
- $250 in Greatmats Products (or $150 Cash Option) for the training facility
- Trainer/training facility profile to be released with the announcement of the winner on Dec. 14, 2018.
- National Horse Trainer of the Year Certificate
More than 4,500 votes have been cast in the first three years of the contest, which is part of Greatmats' Annual National Award Series. The Greatmats National Award Series is designed to recognize instructors, trainers and coaches, who have made a positive impact in their communities and the lives of their students/clients.
Voting Instructions:
Visit https://www.greatmats.com/2018-greatmats-national-horse-trainer-of-the-year.php during the voting period to vote for this year's National Horse Trainer of the Year. Click the vote button next to the photo of the Horse Trainer you'd like to win. Feel free to share the ballot with friends and family and encourage them to vote. The two horse trainers with the most votes will be named finalists. From that point, Greatmats will choose the winner (scroll down to see prizes) based on demonstration of service, integrity and quality.
Greatmats is a national horse stall, stable and trailer flooring leader based in Milltown, Wisconsin, since 1999. Identified as one of the top 3,000 fastest growing companies in the USA three times since 2008, Greatmats gives back to its local community by donating 5% of its annual profits to local non-profit organizations. It also supports green initiatives through the use of solar energy at its Wisconsin headquarters and by offering a large variety of products made from recycled and renewable resources.
View all of Greatmats' horse stall mats at http://www.greatmats.com/horse-stall-mats.php.
All media submissions, including text, photos and videos become property of Greatmats.
Read about past winners of the award: