The Wennberg Way: Mentors Are The Answers To Industry Questions

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422 – September/October, 2026

By Taylor Fabus

There are horsemen who leave their mark in the show pen, and there are those who leave it on people. Carla Wennberg has done both–quietly, consistently, and for decades.

With more than 40 years as an AQHA judge and honors that include the 2008 AQHA Professional Horsewoman of the Year, her résumé reads like a roadmap of excellence. But numbers and accolades only tell part of the story. While Carla has spent a lifetime evaluating horses and riders at the highest levels, her greatest impact has happened outside the arena–one lesson, one conversation, one young horseman at a time.

Across the industry, her influence shows up in a different way. Not just in titles or championships, but in the professionals she has helped shape. They are trainers, instructors, judges, and competitors who now carry forward the same standards, work ethic, and quiet confidence she instilled in them years ago.

That legacy did not happen by accident. “I knew from showing as a youth that I wanted to be like my mentors,” Carla says. “They were amazing coaches and trainers.” She points to influential figures like Dr. Jim Heird, who helped guide her toward her first registered Quarter Horse at just 13 years old, and Lynn Palm, whose mentorship shaped not only her horsemanship but her appreciation for dressage and the finer points of training. Time spent learning from Debbie and Suzanne Jones further solidified a philosophy that would define her career: the horse comes first. “They made me do it all, care and training,” she says. “That has stuck with me all my life.”

That foundation carried her through a remarkable youth career, including three AQHYA World Championships in a single year with her horse Tom Raffles, and into a professional life centered not just on achievement, but on education. From Colorado State University to the University of Georgia, and St. Andrews University, Carla built a reputation not only as a coach, but as a builder of people. “I measure my success by the success of my students,” she says simply.

Building Confidence, Building Careers

Click here to read the complete article
422 – September/October, 2026