2026 Pro Division Challenge Trainers
Breanna Frey
Breanna has had horses at the center of her life for as long as she can remember. She grew up riding anything she could get a leg over—her own horses and any others she had the chance to work with. That early passion for understanding horses naturally evolved into helping others with theirs, ultimately becoming a lifelong dedication to horsemanship and training.
Breanna is the owner of Golden Acres Equine in Concord, NC, where she dedicates her work to developing confident, willing horses and supporting riders in building strong partnerships.
In 2017, Breanna completed an apprenticeship with renowned trainer Ken McNabb, followed by earning her Journeyman certification in 2018 and her Master’s certification in 2019. She returned in 2020 to assist with a Trail Rider University clinic, and she continues to teach and learn alongside Ken at his annual clinics in Yadkinville, NC.
Breanna specializes in young, sensitive, and challenging horses—helping them build confidence, clarity, and willingness by meeting them where they are. She loves the moment when a horse finally “gets it,” and that breakthrough is what drives everything she does.
She’s passionate about creating solid partnerships between horses and their people, ensuring the right match and a lasting connection. She also has a heart for horses in need, taking in a few each year to rehab, restart, and place into forever homes.
Last year, Breanna finished as the Reserve Champion of the Heart of the Horse Trainer Challenge, and she’s excited to come back even stronger. She can’t wait to meet her next partner for this winter and see where this year’s competition takes her.
James Hall
James Hall is a Science Hill, Kentucky horseman who credits every step of his training journey to the mentors who shaped him. As he often says, “I don’t know much, but I had some great teachers.”
He owns and operates Short Ridge Performance Horses LLC and SR Tack & Trade. His focus is on building responsive, well-minded horses through clear communication, consistency, and respect. His program isn’t about reinventing the wheel. He proudly follows the teachings of horsemen like Jack Brainard, Ray Hunt, and Bill & Tom Dorrance, blending their philosophies with his own approach.
He is engaged to his barn manager and partner in all things, Lindsey Branche, who he says will one day be a better trainer than he ever dreamed of being. Together, they’re raising three wonderful children and building a life rooted in horsemanship, hard work, and humility.
Jonathan Chastain
Jonathan Chastain is a dedicated colt starter and ranch horse trainer with a quiet, steady approach that lets the horse do the talking. He trains and shows ranch horses with an emphasis on building soft, willing partners who stay broke in the real world, not just in the arena.
Jonathan is a committed Forever Branded partner and former TIP trainer, known for his skill in gentling wild mustangs and preparing them for successful, long-term homes. His patience, timing, and feel make him a natural fit for helping untouched horses learn to trust and try.
He trains out of Bar C Farms in Collinsville, Alabama with his wife Sarah.
Colby O'Connor
Colby O’Connor is an avid lover of horses and the owner of Circle C Equine in Lagrange, Kentucky, where she offers riding lessons, training, and sale horses.
She was fortunate to be raised in the equine industry alongside her family, growing up on their farm where the primary focus has always been training horses. From colt starts to problem solving to putting on the finishing touches, Colby has worked hands-on with all types of horses since an early age.
Colby has competed in the Appalachian Trainer Face Off since 2021, and it was through that experience that she truly grew passionate about developing her skill set and education to better the lives of horses who may never have been given a fair chance.
In 2025, Colby earned the Heart of the Horse Trainers Challenge Professional Champion title, a testament to her dedication and commitment to good horsemanship.
She is grateful for the opportunity to return to this year’s Heart of the Horse Challenge and looks forward to meeting her next partner.
Melinda Martinez
Melinda is from McEwen, TN, where she runs her own riding school alongside her husband and daughter. Their school uses several ponies adopted from MS Horses to teach the next generation of kids to ride and enjoy horses.
Melinda always been obsessed with horses, taking any chance to learn. In high school she worked with fox hunters and an internationally competitive endurance rider. After graduation she followed her passion for Paso Finos to the hub of it all - Ocala - living & working on a farm with around 70 horses. After that she started her own riding program - all of this before turning 20! 4 years later she closed that program in pursuit of more knowledge, taking a summer to learn from a colt starter in Mississippi, a winter in Oregon to learn about reining, then to Alabama to learn from Cary Hardiman -- a horse trainer who changed her entire perspective on horses & horsemanship. Upon returning home, she worked riding and galloping racehorses, then taught at a hunter jumper farm before finally moving to Tennessee to open her own riding school. All of this to say... Melinda has extensive experience in multiple disciplines with horses and riders of all backgrounds. She brings this knowledge to each and every horse to try to bring the best horse forward.
Justice Prather
Justice Prather is a horse trainer from Owenton, Kentucky. He has been around horses for the majority of his life. For the last ten years Justice has worked for Rockin H Farms. While working under Rockin H, he has had experience with all types of horses from problem solving to feral and unhandled horses.
Justice has always been around horses in one way or another but for the majority of the last decade he has started horses and has continued to expand his knowledge of training. He is always up for a challenge and doesn’t mind taking on the harder, more difficult tasks as he believes the outcome is more rewarding when you have to work for it. Justice enjoys putting miles on horses and getting in the outdoors to really help build the horses confidence and skill sets.
Justice is looking forward to this challenge and helping a horse in need of training. He will be taking this step by step as a learning opportunity and to be able to work alongside others that enjoy this lifestyle.
Sarah Chastain
Sarah Chastain is a professional trainer whose passion for developing horses and dogs, runs deep. She is the Owner and Head Trainer at Bar C Farms in Collinsville, Alabama, where she has built a reputation as a Champion Colt Starter and clinician with a gift for reading and rebuilding horses others might label as “problems.”
Sarah specializes in ranch horses, mustangs, colt starting, and behavioral problem-solving, approaching each horse with patience, clarity, and a commitment to creating confident, useful partners. She is also a dedicated Forever-Branded partner, working through a BLM/Forever Branded program to gentle mustangs and place them in homes where they can thrive.
Above all, Sarah gives credit where she believes it belongs, she couldn’t do any of this without God guiding her steps.
Johna Pink
Johna “Jo” Pink is a professional trainer competing in the 2026 Heart of the Horse Trainers Challenge, bringing her proven record of versatility, compassion, and competitive excellence to the rescue-horse stage. Known for her ability to take on challenging equines and shape them into confident, willing partners, Jo has already earned attention in the Mustang world. She is the 2023 Wild to Mild Overall Champion and Freestyle Champion, as well as the 2024 Meeker Mustang Makeover Under-Saddle Champion, achievements that highlight both her training philosophy and her deep connection with the horses she works with.
Beyond the arena, Jo manages a Thoroughbred breeding farm in Northern Kentucky, overseeing daily operations, training programs, and the individualized care of broodmares, foals and equine athletes in rehab. Her work in both the mustang and racing industries reflects a rare blend of patience, technical skill, and intuitive horsemanship—qualities she brings to every horse, whether wild-caught, off-track, or rescued.
As a single mom to her six-year-old son, Jo’s journey is driven by grit, heart, and the desire to show her child what dedication and compassion can build. Her training approach emphasizes trust, clarity, and emotional regulation, ensuring the rescue horse she partners with in 2026 receives not only a strong foundation, but a chance at a new, flourishing future.
With a reputation for authenticity, showmanship, and transformative results, Jo enters the Heart of the Horse Trainers Challenge ready to honor each horse’s story and help write a better chapter for the one in her care.
Eric stringer
Eric Stringer is from Foxworth MS, a first generation horseman. His love for horses started at a very young age, when his grandfather would take him to the local rodeos. It wasn’t until later in life he would get to own his first horse and begin his journey of becoming a horseman. Eric has been training for 16 years, founding ES Horsemanship, where he starts colts and rehabilitates problem horses using the principles and values of some of the most renowned horsemen such as Buck Brannaman and Chris Cox. Horsemanship isn’t just a journey for Eric, it’s a way of life.
Cody Wardrup
Cody B Wardrup is 28 years old from a small farm town in Kentucky, where he owns a concrete company and trains horses with his family. One thing to know about him is that foremost he is very old fashioned, believing in hard work and patience. He grew up in the saddle in a family where horses weren’t just a hobby, they were a way of life - not only as farm tools but as part of the family. He was raised watching his father compete in local rodeos and draft horse-pulling competitions once his age started showing. Cody was taught the importance of the relationship between a horse and the person guiding it. Those early years of training and practice gave him the timing, feel, and instinct that simply can’t be taught. He believes that how a horse will respond and react its whole life has a lot to do with how it was originally started, worked, and finished. This applies no matter the style of rider, the breed of horse or their different skillset. He was always taught that a horse isn't “broken” (finished) until a child can work the horse in whatever field it was trained for. Cody has two children who help him work with every horse he trains. He’s very family oriented and they are excited to start this new journey in the equine world.
Christian Davis
Christian Davis has spent his entire life in the saddle, growing up among cow-bred Quarter Horses known for their heart, grit, and big personalities. Horses were never a hobby for him, they were simply part of who he was from the beginning. One of his earliest memories at just three years old, was his uncle Sam putting him on a big paint stud who promptly laid out bucking. Instead of being scared, Christian was laughing. That moment sparked a commitment to the horses that get overlooked or misjudged, and to the work of showing what they’re truly capable of becoming.
His uncle Sam, one of Tennessee’s largest AQHA breeders and the breeder of Smart Plan Tivio, had a tremendous influence on Christian’s early horsemanship. He invested heavily in him as a young rider and even got him started breeding his own horses. Along the way, Christian was shaped by several important mentors, including Rusty Sanders, Sonny Gould, and Natasha Mounsey, all of whom played a role in refining his foundation.
Although raised on cowhorses, Christian’s philosophy draws heavily from traditional Vaquero horsemanship. He has extensive experience in colt starting, problem horses, ranch work, cowhorses, and sorting horses, and he has a particular appreciation for the work ethic and mind found in Hancock-bred horses.
Christian approaches every young horse as a blank slate with its own personality to uncover. He prioritizes confidence, softness, and a strong work ethic, believing that a solid foundation begins with trust. His favorite part of starting a colt is the early stages, the first ride and the point a couple of weeks in when all the small, deliberate steps begin to come together.
Entering the Heart of the Horse Trainers Challenge is an exciting step toward Christian’s long-term goal of competing in Road to the Horse. He is especially passionate about giving a rescue horse a strong start and a genuine chance at success. Through the challenge, he hopes to showcase patience, partnership, and a thoughtful approach that puts the horse first, even in a competitive environment.
Tyler McDermett
With 16 years of experience in training horses, Oklahoman Tyler McDermett is always eager to learn and grow his knowledge. He was introduced to horses around the age of 16, and coming through a difficult childhood, horses helped him heal and led him down a path that has given him a blessed life. A renowned local cowboy by the name of Bill Worley is the one who introduced him to horses, and he was a huge reason Tyler pursued the dream of being a horse trainer. Horseman Buck Brannaman, who he relates to in terms of his overcoming life challenges, is also an influential role model and Tyler hopes to one day be on his level of horsemanship.
Tyler has dealt with all kinds of horses and issues - from mustangs, aggressive horses and those with trauma issues or from a difficult past - and has never shied away from a challenge. He has helped educate many individuals, from youth to seniors, on how to be safe when handling horses, as well as helping individuals regain their confidence in the saddle after having bad horse-related experiences. Tyler has had the honor of riding and working with a lot of great local horsemen and women and will continue to work hard to make everyone who believes in his journey proud.