Scott Frye Quarter Horses – A Lifelong Passion for Horses Leads to a Successful Career in the Sport
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By Susan Winslow
Born and raised in Galax, Virginia, not far from the North Carolina border, Scott Frye had a passion for horses early on that even a feisty pony named “Snowy” couldn’t quell. He recalls the little Palomino firebrand, “My dad raised her for me when I was about four, and we trained her together. That pony would throw me off, and I’d get kind of scared, but my dad would just smack me on the butt and put me back on the saddle so I learned to hang on.” He laughs as he continues, “That’s probably the worst thing he could’ve done, because when I got that pony to finally listen to me, it started a love of horses that never quit.”
The can-do attitude Frye learned from his father helped on his steady rise from success at local and regional shows to national competition and later a World Champion title. Scott Frye Quarter Horses now offers sales, training, coaching, and competition guidance. He specializes in futurity horses, but he also works with amateurs to help them reach their goals.
His success is the result of innate talent, hard work, and a tenacious ability to hang on to his childhood dream of becoming a professional horseman, even if it simmered on the back burner for years. Growing up, Frye worked weekends and after school for a local horseman, breaking and training young horses for Fox Hunting and Hunter/Jumper competition. At the age of 16, he switched gears and went to work for well-known trainer Joe Houk of Galax, who trained a World Champion Tennessee Walking Horse. Frye recalls, “I learned a lot from him. He had a very good understanding of what it takes to break and train young colts. Joe and his daughter, Denise Edmunds, were very influential to me during those years. Denise continues to train Western Pleasure horses, and I have great respect for her as a trainer and a friend.”
Frye paid his dues during those early years, balancing a career in the trucking industry with his passion for horses. He made it his goal to learn as much as he could from the best names in the region, biding his time until he was able to advance to the big leagues. “I knew I wanted to do the upper level horses, so I went through a few years taking in as much knowledge as I could,” he says. “I didn’t work for any trainers, but I learned a lot from guys like Brett Parish, Andy Cochran, and Cleve Wells, who I consider good friends to this day. I took what I learned from all of my experiences to develop my own program. Before I even knew Cleve, I had studied all his videos and I still tell people that videos like his are valuable tools for learning when you’re trying to understand the basics of training a Western Pleasure horse, especially when you’re first starting out.”
The learning curve was steep as Frye developed what he calls “an eye for a good Western Pleasure horse.” He spent years watching and studying horses in the show ring, deciphering their movement and conformation, to develop a solid understanding of the unique combination of form and function that makes a top Western Pleasure contender. Then, he committed himself to the art of nurturing those elements to the level of perfection required at the top level of competition.
Frye juggled a family and career with his passion for horses and competition, but he didn’t make the commitment to become a professional horseman until a particularly challenging experience gave him the confidence to try for the elite level. “You know, you have childhood dreams, but then things happen. I had kids, a career, and Galax wasn’t really a center of western riding. As a kid, I’d had a dream to go to Texas to become a professional horseman, but even though I didn’t follow that route, I always stayed competitive with my own horses and balanced it with my job and the rest of my life. Then, I had the chance to compete in the first-ever Masters class at the 2005 All American Quarter Horse Congress as a non-pro. It was a long shot, but I found a filly, named Zippin N Good, aka “Tonya.” I bought her from Ray Carmean and bought a slot for that class. I trained that filly, and we took fourth in the class. At that point, I realized that even though we were a ‘no-name,’ we’d worked hard and made top five at the Congress. That’s when I thought maybe I really could succeed at that level.”
Now a successful, well-respected trainer, coach and competitor, he has never regretted his decision to become a professional horseman. He describes his program as a combination of the insights he has gained throughout years spent figuring out horses, soaking in knowledge from trainers he admired, and studying movement, attitude, and performance along the rail. He shares some of the qualities he looks for in a top notch Western Pleasure prospect. “I specialize in bringing along young futurity horses, so you have to start with good conformation and natural talent. Some of the things I think are instrumental in a good Western Pleasure horse are balance and lift. These horses have to be really good in their shoulders to make an upper level horse. Their parentage and trainability also factor into the equation. A true pleasure horse has to be able to shape and soften, and a horse has to have a good mind in order to do that. You go for the lift first. Then, you ask the horse to soften. When you get that, you have a top level show horse.”
He refers to the adage, “back up, head down,” when referring to Western Pleasure movement. “Yes, that’s true, but more importantly, the horse has to be really comfortable and happy in that movement to be a top level horse. It has to be what they like and want to do or it will show in their movement and whole attitude. My goal is to help the horse learn to move like that and be happy in its job. A lot of that comes from good bloodlines, natural talent, and a good mind. Even out in the field, when we look for conformation and raw talent, I’m looking for a trainable attitude, too.”
Frye’s combination of patience, experience, and ability to read horses as individuals has paid off. He has racked up an impressive number of wins and titles including: 2011 Limited High Point Rider of the Year on Legal Machine, 2012 Reserve Limited Open Rider, 2012 Congress Champion riding Its A Good Pleasure, 2013 Level 2 Intermediate Rider at the AQHA World Show on The Rock, 2013 NSBA Reserve World Champion, 2014 NSBA Reserve World Champion on The Rock, and 2014 Reserve Congress Southern Belle Champion riding No Question Im Lazy.
He savors each of the big wins and recalls the 2012 Congress Championship as one of the most rewarding. “It’s not anything you can describe in words. You think, ‘Is this really happening?’ It sure was fun!” While he enjoys adding to his list of wins, he thrives on helping his clients find success in the show pen.
He works closely with each of his clients to help them find the most suitable mount for their skill level, personality, and goals. He makes an analogy between horses and clients, saying, “They are like each other in that you have to find the right one for each other. I work with my clients to learn their strengths and weaknesses and help them determine what their goals are. Then, I set out to help them reach those goals by making sure they’re matched with the right mount and both are fully prepared mentally and physically for competition. It’s important to me to make sure everybody is on the same page and working together for the same goals. Truly, it’s a team effort among the horse, rider, trainer, client, farrier, and basically everybody that has pulled together to make it all happen. It’s a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun too, and it’s incredibly rewarding when my clients and horses do well.”
Frye gives credit for his work ethic to Perry Frye, his beloved Poppa. He says, “My Poppa was a great guy. He approached life every day with the belief that you can do anything you set your mind to. He would always say to me, ‘If you believe it, you can do it.’ Those words have guided me. Because of him, I believe, if it’s in your heart and you truly desire it, you can achieve it through dedication and hard work. Poppa’s positive attitude continues to mold my life today.”
That ability to throw himself into anything he sets his sights on has paid off in other areas of his life. Fourteen years ago, when Frye decided to conquer his fear of flying, he signed up for a flight at a local airport. Not only did he survive, he wound up taking lessons, earned his pilot’s license, and bought a single engine airplane. “Well, I had to go to a lot of places to look at futurity prospects, and it saved a lot of time. It was also really fun.” He still flies for pleasure, but the greatest joy in his life is his children.
“They’re everything to me, and they’re great kids,” he says with pride. He smiles and continues, “I tried to get them both to ride, but my son Alex probably spent too much time mucking stalls, so the horses aren’t for him. He’s got a trucking company and a lawn company, and he’s doing really well. My daughter Ashley got the bug. She has done a really good job handling college and competition. Last year, she took Top 5 at the Congress with The Rock and second for the NSBA end of the year standings in the 3-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure with him. I think they’re both in for a successful year.”
With show season now underway, Frye is looking forward to hitting all the top competitions with his clients and horses. “We’ll be going to all the big shows for my clients who want to play at that level, and we have some great futurity prospects this year that we’re excited about.”
It’s a busy, full life, but Scott Frye wouldn’t have it any other way. He sums it up well when he says, “I love my job, and I’m blessed to be able to do this. I’m looking forward to another great year.”
For more information, follow him on Facebook at Scott Frye Show Horses. He may be reached by email at wscottfrye@yahoo.com; telephone 276-233-8503.
