We are excited to announce a new training partnership in the equine industry. Brad Ost with Highpoint Performance Horses and Troy Lehn with Chavez Enterprises, are joining forces to begin the next chapter of their careers. These multiple World and Congress champions will debut their new training venture, Empyre Show Horses, based in Pilot Point, Texas starting December 1, 2018.
Ost has been working for Charlie Cole and Jason Martin for just over six years. Prior to Highpoint, he worked for Bruce Vickery and Cliff Kellmer. He will continue to work for Cole and Martin throughout the next two months.
“I started with Cliff when I was a teenager and he was my foundation to teach me the basics,” Ost said. “Then I moved to Texas and started working for Bruce and then Highpoint with Charlie and Jason. I will work with them th
rough the Congress and the World Show to finish up my time there. It will be bittersweet, but I am ready for this next chapter.”
Lehn started working for Alexandra Chavez at the 2014 NSBA World Show. Prior to that, he worked for Doug Huls, Gary and Kelley Roberts and Dean Bogart. He will also finish out the next two big shows with Chavez before partnering up with Ost.
“I am working for Alex through the Congress and the World Show,” Lehn said. “I think now, Brad and I just want to get our feet on the ground and see where this next year takes us. It’s going to be a growing year and we will see what happens. We are accepting new clients starting December 1.”
Ost and Lehn wanted to create a name for their business that was distinctive and would have a lasting impression. They definitely did that with their decision to use the name Empyre Show Horses.
“It’s kind of a funny story,” Ost said. “We had been thinking on a couple of names and I wanted something that embraced a group of people. I love that part of Highpoint, where it is just like this big team and it’s not just one person’s name or one person’s idea. We were all out on the boat having a blast and were talking about the television show Empire and I thought to myself, I love that name. We could build an empire. I was wondering what we could do to change it up and make it more marketable. We talked about different spellings and ended up doing that. We had someone design a logo, too. It turned out great and we both thought, yep there it is.”
The duo will offer an all-around training program to which they each bring their own amazing set of skills and talents.
“It’s going to be an all-around barn for sure,” Lehn said. “Brad and I have done the young hunter under saddle and western pleasure horses for years. Brad’s talent is really with the pleasure horses. His ability to teach horses to change leads is one of his strong points as well. I love the trail and hunter under saddle stuff and I have focused on it more. I feel like we are pretty equal in everything else like the showmanship, horsemanship and equitation. We work together so well. It’s a good team. His weaknesses are my strengths and my weaknesses are his strengths. It has always seemed like a good fit.”
Ost and Lehn are excited to start this new journey. They are 
also very grateful for everyone who has helped them get to this point in their lives.
“We both want to thank our peers and the people who have gotten us this far in our careers,” Ost said. “I have so much to thank Charlie and Jason for. They have been my mentors and good friends along the way. They have definitely gotten me to where I am today.”
“We are really excited,” Lehn said. “We have talked about doing this for a long time. The timing never felt right before now, but it seems like this year, it just clicked. Everything is falling into place and feels like this is the time to do it.”
Charlie Cole and Jason Martin also feel the timing is right for Ost to go off on his own and begin his business. They have been wanting to slow down a bit and this is the perfect natural process for that to occur.
“Our goal is to start downsizing,” Martin said. “This is kind of just making it easier for us to move in that direction. I think it is what happens in this business. You take somebody on and mentor them. Some people stay forever, and some want to go out on their own just like Charlie and I did when we started our own business. Brad is super talented, and I think he will be very successful.”
Alexandra Chavez is also excited to see Troy starting out on his own. She intends to send him horses for training and support him in any way she can.
“I think it is great for them,” Chavez said. “I will put one or two horses with them and support them 100%. To be able to go off and make it on their own is ultimately what every horse trainer’s goal is. I think they have set themselves up to be very successful. They have the talent, so I think they can go and do it. I have faith in them.”
Everyone at GoHorseShow wishes Brad and Troy the best of luck on their new venture.
Brad’s cell 817-403-6258, Troy’s cell 217-620-4144 or you can email them at [email protected].
Photos © GoHorseShow, Shane Rux, NSBA
