Turning the Tables – Amateur or Pro?

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124 – March/April, 2017

By Delores Kuhlwein

… Sources define a professional simply as “one who earns a living for their occupation,” …By definition, an amateur is “a person who engages in a pursuit or activity for pleasure rather than for financial benefit.”

Not so fast – this isn’t another story about an amateur giving up his/her card to join the professional ranks. In fact, it’s just the opposite: this is the real story of those who have decided to leave training behind to pursue their own personal ambitions. When the announcement comes that a trainer is going to “sit out,” or stop training, a chain reaction begins. Whether it’s concern from fellow amateurs about competing against someone with a perceived advantage, or happiness for the person involved, there’s bound to be curiosity.

The following three former professionals have joined the amateur ranks. They’re real people who put their jeans on one leg at a time and possess the same fears, obstacles, and ambitions as their fellow amateur competitors.

Meet the Amateurs:

Amateur #1: Berleen Ross of Valley View, Texas. Ross was an AQHA horse trainer in California for 38 years, specializing in the Western Pleasure Futurity industry. She served as a carded AQHA judge for 16 years. Ross recently announced her return to the pen as an amateur, this time in the Ranch Riding arena.

Amateur #2: Joe Whitt of Louisville, Kentucky is now an AQHA Select Amateur, but he grew up showing horses in open shows and 4-H competition in Virginia and West Virginia, rode on his college co-ed equestrian team, and trained horses in Columbia, SC during the 1980s. Upon becoming a full-time trainer and carded PBHA judge, he focused on Palominos and Quarter Horses.

Amateur #3: Thomas Lukenbill of Chino Hills, California, began his 28-year training career in Northern California before moving to Coto De Caza and then Chino Hills. His professional career encompassed eight different breeds resulting in over 100 titles for his barn. Well-known as “Tom the Trainer” for his success in the APHA arena, he now rides as an AQHA amateur.

Click here to read the complete article
124 – March/April, 2017