With the peak of the 2018 show season just on the horizon, some of the industry’s top exhibitors are in search of their next equine partner. The hunt for the next great champion brings with it excitement, anticipation, and optimism. The thoughtful preparation of these top equine athletes is a demanding and often lengthy process. Read on to discover how some of the nation’s top consignors prepare talented young stock to be marketed to buyers.

David Miller and Scott Jones prove the old adage teamwork makes the dream work.

We asked top professionals your biggest questions about keeping a show-worthy hair coat. Here’s what they had to say…

When you’re showing, how much does ring strategy really matter? Devising a plan counts, say the experts, and practices like utilizing corners for rail position, looking ahead to obstacles, timing your reverse on the rail, and thinking on your feet (or in your stirrups) can pay off in the show pen.

The leggy, five-month-old colt loped everywhere. He was the “one” his breeders had planned for and waited for all their lives. But when he ended up on the surgery table with a suspected impaction, a belly tap that produced red fluid and overwhelming pain that would not cease, his owners learned in the hardest way that science and nature sometimes have their own plans despite our best attempts to protect our beloved horses.

Any savvy competitor knows that the pivot is an essential maneuver for any pattern class, and the proper or improper execution of this maneuver can make or break the final result of a class.

At the age of 16, the biggest decision facing most couples is whether to splurge for a giant chocolate heart in February, or, if things are serious, whether to exchange class rings.

Elaborate stall fronts have become the most fun, creative, and exciting way to professionally represent a training operation at major horse shows. Just like in the show pen, first impressions are everything.

A quick blink is all it would take to miss the tiny town of Cross Timbers, Missouri. An ordinary town in America’s heartland, Cross Timbers consists of just 289 acres shared by less than 200 residents.

Lee Paul Shinn started showing as a young boy in Texas more than 40 years ago. What started as a hobby at local 4-H shows quickly grew into a passion that led him to compete in all-around events at AQHA breed shows.