When Facebook became popular and I realized that I was able to track down old horse show friends and individuals from my past, it became an exciting tool to use to find past horse show exhibitors and trainers who have gone on to do other things outside of horses.
One person that I always wondered what happened to was former horse trainer Jack Atwell. When he popped up as a suggested friend on Facebook, I was beside myself with excitement. During my youth career, I had the biggest crush on Jack–he had movie star good looks with gorgeous shoulder length blond hair. Atwell also had this charisma and magnetism that drew people to him. What was also very unique about Jack was that he was openly gay in the late 70’s and early 80’s when it was still considered taboo by many in the horse industry. I always admired his openness and self confidence about who he was as an individual, and he made no apologies about his lifestyle.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Atwell was 12 years-old when he fell in love with horses.
“I will always remember it. I was invited over to a friend’s house and he asked if I wanted to ride their ponies,” Jack told GoHorseShow.com. “From the first moment I climbed on that pony, it was love at first sight. From that point on, I drove my mom crazy to ride again. I went to the local hack stables every Saturday and Sunday. My mom would drop me off there in the morning and pick me up about 6 pm. I would spend the whole day cleaning the stalls for free with the promise of being able to ride one of the school horses when I was done. After about a year of cleaning stalls, I think my mom figured this wasn’t going away and she bought me my first horse.”
Atwell turned professional right out of high school and his career lasted over 30 years. Part of his career was spent in Scottsdale, Arizona where he had a successful training program with clients such as Ashlee Donaldson. Some of his favorite moments were winning the AQHA World Show in Junior Hunter Under Saddle; winning several high point year end awards; being a Congress winner multiple times; and he was also Reserve in the Congress Hunter Under Saddle Futurity.
One of Atwell’s favorite moments was when we was 10th in the Two Year-Old Western Pleasure Futurity at the Congress.
“It was very special because I had been branded as a hunt seat rider,” he remembers. “They all got to see a different side of my training–it was great!.” Jack also adds, “It was considered the ‘boys’ class. I think if it would have been anyone else on that horse, they would have been in the Top 5 – all the big cowboys tried to buy her from me at the Congress before and after the class.”
According to Jack, the greatest horse he ever rode and owned was the 1980 sorrell stallion, Expensive Coffee. This duo won a Jeep for the All Around Senior Horse in 1988. He said that having the chance to ride such a great horse was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The horse amassed close to 500 points in nine different events and received superiors in the Western Riding, Hunter Under Saddle and Hunter Hack. (pictured top right)
Atwell said he loved the travel and the people in the horse industry. “I also think being your own boss and the great feeling of being able to be out side on a beautiful day with the sunshine and just riding was the biggest perk.”
Even with these fringe benefits, there were other things he did not like about showing horses. “I hated being stuck in the truck for days on end. Traveling on holidays like Christmas–when everyone was home enjoying family and friends–I was driving to somewhere trying to get those last few points to be the winner– that was the worst part of the business for me.”
Atwell also talks about why he retired from the horse business. “I think the biggest reason for me retiring from the horse business was feeling like there was nothing else for me to do. I had won the Jeep, the World, the Congress, and the nation and almost every major circuit in the country, and I didn’t really feel like there was much left.”
Always open about his lifestyle, Jack discussed what it was like being gay in the horse industry in the late 70’s and 80’s. “I think the hardest part is that most people don’t understand that being gay is not a choice. It’s like being black or white or being born with anything that people view as different. The facts are we are all born the way we are,” he said. “I felt very strongly at a young age about this and never wanted to hide who I was–it was tough in the business, lots of people would shy away from me or talk behind my back or just be down right mean. So I worked harder and got better and beat them at there own game.” (pictured left is Jack Atwell, Brazo Brio, and Cathy Pennypacker, 1977 Junior HUS World Champion)
Jack said that after he started to win many people stopped being unkind and looked at his talent, not his sexual orientation. “I was very lucky because I’m a strong person, but when I look at kids today that are still hiding and some even taking their own life because of who they are– it just rips my heart out. People can be very mean and hurtful, just because you are different. I hope someday this will change.”
Today, Atwell is a chef in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and owns a catering company called, “Moments in Time Catering.”
“I think the most exciting thing about what I do now is that I have been able to start a new career that I have a passion for and watch it grow. I have learned in life that if you do something you love, it’s never work and the most important thing is not how much money you make but being happy with what you do.”
Jack is starting to develop a name for himself in Fort Lauderdale for his food and catering company which he says is very exciting, and he will also be opening a new gourmet store very soon.
This talented chef and former World Champion rider currently has no one special in his life, but he is still hoping to find that person. “That is and has been the hardest part of my life. I can work and make my career grow but still don’t have the answers on how to make a relationship work–but I will keep trying, and I hope it will happen someday.”
