NRHA Announces 2018 Professionals of the Year

Each year, National Reining Horse Association affiliates are invited to nominate their favorite NRHA Professionals for top honors in one of the following categories: Professional Horseman of the Year, Professional Horsewoman of the Year, Non Pro Coach of the Year, Youth Coach of the Year, and Up-and-Coming Trainer of the Year. See who took home top honors in 2018

Nominees must exemplify excellence in the reining community and are chosen based on their mastery and contribution to promoting the sport of reining and NRHA. Below are the winners for each category, who will receive their award at the 2019 NRHA Convention & Awards Banquet held February 6-9 in Oklahoma City.

NRHA Professional Horseman of the Year: Dan Huss

Dan Huss’ career in the saddle began over 30 years ago. Pursuing his passion, he double majored in science and equestrian studies at the University of Findlay, where he stayed to teach for 20 years. It was in the early 2000s when Huss and his wife, Wendy, decided to instead pursue the training process he had developed at Findlay (breaking down each maneuver into a few steps, allowing a client to master it, and then moving on to the next). Their first stop was Double Run Farms in North Carolina, where Huss trained Wimpys Little Step, a well-known sire in the reining industry who went on to win the 2002 NRHA Futurity. The adventure didn’t stop there; Chicago, Illinois was where they then spent the next three years, developing a successful training program for non pro rider, Jose Vasquez.

In 2006, Dan and Wendy Huss were able to set up Even Odd Farms, their own training facility. Here, they made a name for themselves before moving to Scottsdale, Arizona for its potential to grow their business in the reining industry. Huss continues to coach top level non pros and youth riders at Huss Performance Horses while also bringing home big NRHA titles himself. His NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE) exceed $550,000 with many championship titles and finalist qualifications in the NRHA Derby, NRHA Futurity, All American Quarter Horse Congress, and many more. He also helped the U.S. Reining Team bring home a gold medal in the FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) in 2018 where he also took home an individual silver medal. To top off his accomplishments, not only a reiner but also as a horseman, was his crowd-wowing, bridleless run on Ms Dreamy at the AQHA World Championship Show in the Senior Reining. That moment will remain a part of reining history.

2018 AQHA World Show