We started with 64 trainers in the Trainer Bowl presented by Kendalls Western Hats and now we are down to the Final Four!
Congratulations to the winners of the four divisions:
Reid Thomas – All-Around
Terry Sartain – Halter
Lainie DeBoer – English
E.H. Pait – Western Pleasure
Click here to vote for your favorite trainers.
These trainers have worked very hard on behalf of their charities to garner enough votes to push them through to the final four. We are rewarding each of them with a $500 gift certificate to Kendalls Western Hats and and a two-page ad design by Holt Advertising.
After determining the winners of Round 5, the final two trainers will advance to the finals where the overall winner of the Trainer Bowl will be determined by the trainer who is able to raise more money for their charity of choice.
Meet the final four trainers:
Reid Thomas – All-Around Division
Reid Thomas is an all-around trainer from Corpus Christi, Texas. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a bs n Business Administration and a minor in International Law. His philosophy revolves around providing the highest level of customer service for his clients and attention to every detail.
Thomas has accumulated a strong, loyal list of clients and a barn full of very talented horses. His approach to training is a breath of fresh air to our industry. And this fresh approach is getting results; in 2009 his camp was awarded 7 Congress Championships, 1 res championship, 2 Youth High Point Congress Championships, one AQHA World Championship, one AQHA Bronze, and 6 phba world championships and youth golden horse.
Reid’s charity is the Glenoak Therapeutic Riding Center in his home town of Corpus Christi, Texas. Glenoak Therapeutic Riding Center is an accredited organization which provides equine-assisted
therapy and rehabilitation for children and adults with physical, mental, emotional and learning disabilities. Reid’s mother runs Glenoak Therapeutic Riding Center and Reid has dedicated much of his time and energy to helping this cause.
Terry Sartain – Halter Division
Terry started his horse training career after returning from Viet Nam. After growing up on a dairy farm in Nacogdoches, Texas he was well accustomed to hard work and long hours. Before settling on halter as his discipline of choice, Terry showed many a pleasure horse. His first World Champion was in the early 1970’s and he has not slowed down for a minute. Terry shows AQHA, APHA, ApHC, PtHA, PHBA, ABRA, and IBRA. There is little time for hobbies so Terry focuses his free time around his family. Terry values his relationship with his customers and is a testament to the fact that many have been with him for over 30 years. His motto is “Keep it fun, dream big, but be realistic with your goals for each horse.”
Terry has chosen two charities that he wants to support; the Lynn Simons APHA Scholarship Foundation as well as the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN.
Lainie DeBoer – English Division
Lainie DeBoer owns and operates her farm Dream Field in Forest Lake, MN. She specializes in hunters and jumpers. Throughout the past couple of years, Lainie has won 4 AQHA World Championships, 6 reserve titles, and 7 Congress Championships. She has also been fortunate to coach some of the top Youth and Amateurs to multiple World, Congress, and Year End Championships in Hunt Seat Equitation, Working Hunter, Equitation Over Fences, and Hunter Hack.
This year at the AQHA World show, Lainie trained Jessica Johnson and Royality In Blue to the Amateur All-Around title. Currently, Lainie is a Purina Ambassador, Team Wrangler member for her fourth year, is on the Professional Horsemen’s committee, and is an AQHA judge specialized in over-fences.
Lainie’s biggest accomplishment is not in the ring but out of the ring, being a mother of two daughters, Gracie 10 and Emma 8. They are her pride and joy.
Lainie’s charity of choice is We Can Ride. Founded in 1982, We Can Ride offers therapeutic horseback riding and carriage driving to adults and children living with disabilities. We Can Ride is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a Premier Accredited member of North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA). We Can Ride follows strict operating standards to provide reputable, safe, and enjoyable therapeutic riding. Their waiting list continues to grow and currently has over 100 individuals hoping for a class opening. Their need for further program expansion is evident. We Can Ride’s funding comes from membership fees, individual donations,fund-raising events, foundation grants, and contributions made by corporations and service organizations.
E.H. Pait – Western Pleasure Division
E.H. operates E.H. Pait Quarter Horses in Jonesboro, Arkansas with his wife Arianne and their son Harrison. Originally from North Carolina, E.H. and his brothers Jeffrey and Jamie have each earned great success while training and showing American Quarter Horses.
E.H. is a multiple AQHA World Champion and Congress Champion who has played a significant role in the career of some of the very best western pleasure horses. In 2008, E.H. prepared Amblin Impulsion and Hope By Invitation, the second and third place horses in the Senior Western Pleasure at the AQHA World Show. In 2009, he trained the winner of the 3-Year-Old Non-Pro class at both the Reichert Celebration and the Congress. He has also coached amateur and youth to Congress and World titles in western pleasure.
This is E.H.’s second year participating in the Trainer Bowl and wishes all of the other contestants the best of luck.
E.H. has had a history of heart complications and will be playing for the American Heart Association.
YOU HAVE UNTIL MONDAY, JANUARY 11TH AT MIDNIGHT CENTRAL TIME TO VOTE IN ROUND 5.
What is the Trainer Bowl?
GoHorseShow.com launched the first annual Trainer Bowl in December, 2008 and due to its resounding success we decided to bring it back again for 2009. We recently took nominations for 64 horse trainers and matched them up against other trainers in their same discipline by alternating alphabetical order by last name. The format is a tournament bracket divided into four divisions; All-Around, Halter, Western Pleasure and English. Our readers will vote and the winner of each match-up will advance to the next round.
How did the trainers get nominated?
Thanks to our loyal readers, the nominations for all 64 slots in Trainer Bowl II presented by Kendalls Western Hats were filled in less than two hours. We have 30 different trainers this year compared to last year – that’s almost a 50% change!
How do I vote?
You are able to vote for your favorite trainers by clicking on the button next to their name. Our improved voting software allows you click on the trainer’s name to see a picture and read about each participant.
What can the trainers win?
As a thank you for participating, each of the 64 trainers will receive a hat can from Kendalls Western Hats as well as a complimentary page in GoHorseShow.com’s digital magazine GoMag, valued at $130.
The winner of each division (All-Around, Halter, Western Pleasure and English) will receive a $500 gift certificate from Kendalls as well as a free ad design from Holt Advertising. The overall winner will receive a $2,000 gift certificate from Kendalls.
The Trainer Bowl is all about charity
Last year, we received over 200,000 votes through five rounds and raised in excess of $15,000. In the final round, Jason Martin earned the title of Trainer Bowl I Champion by raising over $12,000 for the Lynn Simons Memorial APHA Scholarship Fund.
This year, each of the 64 trainers have pledged $100 toward the winning trainer’s charity of choice. We are excited to have the chance to give $6,400 in addition to the total amount the winning trainer is able to raise.
Click here to vote for the Final Four match-ups.
