Taking Passion for Horses to New Heights: One on One with Charlie Cole of Highpoint Performance Horses
Photo of all four horses piloted by Cole in the 2025 AQHA World Show L3 Senior Western Riding finals – credit Shane Rux Photography.
By Delores Kuhlwein
“Obtaining knowledge can bring light into your life, but sharing it can also bring others out of the darkness.” ~Dr. Bhawna Gautam.
What can you possibly do once you’ve reached the pinnacle of your career? For Charlie Cole, whose accolades in the show arena are endless, it simply means enjoying and imparting his knowledge in other aspects of the industry.
“I think a lot of people believe that I’m retiring completely, but I have just closed the chapter on my show career,” says the renowned trainer from Highpoint Performance Horses, who has set the standard in western all around competition with partner Jason Martin over the past 30 years.
“But we’re still going to be here for the show industry, and I’m looking forward to finally getting to judge some of the big shows. So I’m still going to be around — just in a different capacity.”
As most horse lovers know, the passion for the horse thrives throughout a lifetime and for Cole, that certainly rings true. “My passion for the horse is as strong today as it ever was. I really do love my horses, and I love all aspects of horse riding. I love to go to the Grand Prix, I love to go to the chuck wagon races, and I love horses in general. This is just the next phase of my passion and love of horses.”
Cole and Jason Martin also own a couple of racehorses now, and they’re both still involved in barrel racing, both of which are cause for excitement for the horsemen.
Though nostalgia was definitely in play for the revered horseman both at the 2025 All American Quarter Horse Congress and at the 2025 AQHA World Show as Cole completed his final, spectacular patterns, he says he was feeling reminiscent, but not sad, because he has achieved all the goals he had ever wanted to accomplish. “I’ve enjoyed my whole career of showing and I wouldn’t do it any differently. So I just know that this is the right time for me to step back; I feel like I’ve completed the journey of showing horses.”
Finishing with a Flourish
It’s no exaggeration to say Charlie went out in style, finishing his show career with the fanfare everyone was waiting for – not only did he win a Gold Globe in a tough L3 Senior Western Riding Finals (original 47 entries) at the 2025 AQHA World Show; he qualified four horses for those finals, and ended up Top Ten with all four: World Champion with Hez Blazin Trouble for Susan Wilson; Bronze Champion with Snap It Send It for Bill Baskin & Susan Blackburn; Sixth with My Dad Is The Best for Linday Gunderlock Smaltz; Ninth with Nothing Compares for Abigail Pait Nesmith.
“It was one of the hardest things I ever did, but also one of the most fulfilling,” he explains. “My family was all there, and my friends, and that can add a little extra pressure and stress, but it didn’t – I was really focused and calm, and every time I walked into the arena, I told each of my horses, ‘We can do this.’”
Although making the final fifteen with four different horses with individual styles, requiring him to adapt to each one, isn’t necessarily the ideal situation, Charlie says his team figured it all out. “Brad Ost, Garrett Ashby, and Jeff Mellott did an amazing job making those finals go smoothly. I can remember thinking, ‘Just enjoy this moment,’ and I told myself, ‘One horse at a time,’ and I was able to appreciate each moment.”
“I literally was up for the challenge, it all flowed, and my horses and I were really in sync. I wanted to win, but more importantly, I wanted to finish with four good rides, which was my number one goal,” he reveals. “Blake (Weis) could not have been nicer, and he told me how honored he was to be out there with me. It was a surreal experience, and I was so fulfilled at that moment, and most of all, grateful.”
Taking Time to Share Gifts
As he takes a new path in the industry, he reflects on what and how he learned to attain such success, and how he has passed that knowledge along, and will continue to do so.
“I knew I wanted to be a horse trainer very young, like 14, 15 years old,” he reveals. “And I dedicated everything I had to be the best horseman and showman that I could be. So I gave up a lot early on to do that. And I found the best people, whether I worked for Ted Turner or I sought out Tim Whitney or Gary and Kelly Roberts, I worked for free a lot just to get knowledge and to get experience from them, and that really helped me.”
In addition, he became a well-rounded horseman because, in his words, “I tried everything when I was young: rodeo, cowhorse, reining, and I learned to break ponies to drive, and that’s how I taught my show horses to drive. But then I refined it into what a show horse should be. I just tried to absorb as much as I could, or as much as I could from anyone who did anything with horses.”
When he joined forces with Jason, he explains it was a game changer. “Jason and I complement each other so well as far as my weaknesses and his strengths and vice versa, and we’re always on the same team. We always were honest with each other. We always support each other. And we never had a competition. So if I didn’t win, I wanted him to win and vice versa. And so we really, those 30 years that we did that, we were such a good team, and we worked together so well.”
Taking the keys to that success and sharing them with others were part of the journey.
“Jason and I were always open to sharing knowledge, and always available if a younger trainer or up-and-coming person had questions. Jason and I coached Sara Simons as a youth kid, for example, and I’m always happy to help because people helped me along the way,” he explains.
“I actually look forward to doing that more in the future. I’m excited to help, whether it’s Brad and Garrett, who work for me, or Jeff. I’m excited to be there to support them and see them be successful.”
View Charlie Cole’s winning L3 Senior Western Riding pattern on Hez Blazin Trouble, aka “Perfect Parker.”
Finals results:
Scoresheets:
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