Kansas clinician wins California Equine Experience 'Trainers Challenge'

TEN-THOUSAND—Kerry Kuhn, along with wife Misti and son Kauy celebrate Kuhn's win at the Equine Experience Trainers Challenge, Paso Robles, Calif., April 5 and 6. (Courtesy photo.)

Kerry Kuhn, Coats, Kan., Pat Hooks, Texhoma, Okla., and Carol Schryver of California, all three very accomplished horse trainers, competed in the Equine Experience Trainers Challenge, Paso Robles, Calif., April 5 and 6. The competition was tight throughout the entire two-day event, but Kuhn emerged as the winner of the $10,000 payoff April 6, after spending two and one half round pen hours preparing an unbroken filly to complete a daunting riding and obstacle course.

"This competition was amazing. Pat and Carol are both very good trainers. Every time I looked over to see their progress I was impressed," said Kuhn.

On the first day of competition all three trainers chose to spend most of their time working on groundwork to build the solid foundation they would need to put their respective colts in the best position for a successful first ride-and give them the skills they'd need to traverse the obstacle course at the end of the competition. Both Hooks and Schryver had the opportunity to ride their colts during the latter part of the first day of the first day's training session. Kuhn, however, ran into a little trouble with his colt accepting his weight in the stirrup for mounting. The first day's session concluded without a ride on the sorrel filly Kuhn had chosen.

After a good night's rest by competitors and colts alike, the competition resumed April 6. All three trainers again returned to the basics with their colts. Kuhn used his years of colt starting knowledge to redirect his approach to his filly. With the understanding he needed to do what was right to give this young horse a fair start under saddle, Kuhn adjusted his tack and used lots of patience to help the filly through the problems she was having being mounted. He was finally able to put the first ride on her in the last 30 minutes of the round pen portion of the competition.

"It goes to show how forgiving horses can be. I pushed a little too hard with this filly on the first day, and she showed me that she wasn't going to be rushed. I had to slow down, adjust my attitude and, in the end, review the reason I was here in the first place--to give this mare the best start possible. When I did that, it all fell into place and she started to give back to me even more than I expected," said Kuhn after the competition.

The Equine Experience Trainer Challenge, held annually in Paso Robles, Calif., is coordinated by John and Maureen Rudnick. The event began with a round pen portion that allows trainers to demonstrate their colt starting techniques on an unbroken two-year-old colt. On the second day of competition--after spending just two and one half training hours with their colts--competitors must complete a riding and obstacle course to the best of their colts' abilities. Competitors are judged during all phases of the competition on how they interact with their colts, their training skills and their problem solving skills as well as the final results achieved during the riding and obstacle test.

About Kerry Kuhn

Kerry Kuhn has devoted his career to helping people better understand their horses and horses better understand their riders. Kuhn's 'Practical Horsemanship' program has helped thousands of people across the country get the most out of their relationships with their horses by teaching them useful horsemanship skills they understand and apply.

Kuhn's passion for horses and training started young, and encouraged by his grandfather Dale Lukens, has grown into a lifelong pursuit. At the age of twelve, Kuhn started his first two-year-old. From that horse on, Kuhn was motivated to learn as much as he could about communicating with horses. Together with his grandfather Dale, they would work horses and day work on local ranches. In high school, Kuhn spent two years working with thoroughbreds on the racetrack. From their first ride to their first race, Kuhn learned how to build confidence in each horse. When not at the racetrack or working horses with Dale, Kuhn also competed in rodeo. Focusing on calf roping, steer roping and team roping, Kuhn used his passion and love for communicating with horses to develop some incredible equine athletes still competing today. It was at this level, that Kuhn saw the importance in helping other riders and ropers become better leaders and communicators with their horses.

For the past ten years, Kuhn has held demonstrations and horsemanship clinics across the country at both public and private venues. Kuhn has been featured at the Kansas Horse Council's EquiFest, the Missouri Equine Expo, at the American Royal Celebration in Kansas City, the Working Ranch Cowboy Association's World Championship Ranch Rodeo Finals, in Amarillo, Texas, to name a few. As part of Purina Mills' "Equine Influential Team," Kuhn has done numerous equine education events across the Midwest. In 2007, Kuhn was invited to be a guest clinician at the Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration in Shelbyville, Tenn., was a featured clinician at the inaugural Arizona Horse Fair and Expo, and served as a judge for Craig Cameron's 'Extreme Cowboy Race' World Finals. Currently, Kuhn is the official clinician on the popular RFD-TV series 'Best of America by Horseback' and has held public clinics from Maine to California in conjunction with 'Best of America by Horseback's' grand tour project. He is also the author of an ongoing video series and his training tips have been featured in a number of equine publications. Kuhn recently won the $10,000 'Trainers Challenge' (colt starting competition) at Equine Experience in Paso Robles, Calif.

Although he calls his approach to working with horses 'Practical Horsemanship,' Kuhn often inspires his students to push themselves into a deeper connection with their horses that not only improves their riding skills but radiates out in their everyday lives and beyond. "Horsemanship is all about good leadership, patience, and learning to be positive no matter what the situation," Kuhn tells his students. "Horsemanship is a skill you should live everyday."

Along with the horses, Kuhn is devoted to his faith, his wife, Misti, and their son, Kauy.

For more information on Kuhn, visit his website at www.KerryKuhn.com . To book Kuhn for an event, or have a question, call toll free 866-672-5631 or 620-672-0939.

For more information of the Paso Robles Equine Experience, visit www.EquineExperience.net or contact Maureen Ruddick at 805-237-0011.

Date: 5/1/08