Brad Pagh Reining & Reined Cow Horses

 

Brad and his wife Esther operate their training business together at Reinwater Ranch in Morriston, Florida just outside of Ocala. They have a three year old daughter named Grace.  Brad also has three older daughters that live in the Minnesota area... Andrea, Jennifer and Julia.  Andrea and Jennifer are in college and Julia is a senior in highschool.  They all love to ride!

 

Brad has been a cowboy at heart all his life. By the time he was two years old all he wanted for Christmas was boots and cowboy hats. Growing up in the suburbs of Minneapolis he had to work a little harder than some folks to get around horses. Every chance he had he found a way.  Friends or relatives with horses or who lived near horses were his constant destination.  Then came summer camps followed by working at the summer camps; ...teaching horsemanship classes and leading pack trips.  By the time he was in highschool Brad was shoeing horses part time and was an avid rodeo competitor in the bareback bronc riding.

 

After two years of college Brad moved to California to pursue his destiny in the horse business. He attended Clarence Chown's vocational horse college for one year, and then took a job as an assistant trainer at Warner Ranch in Pala, California starting all of the cutting horse prospects.  After a year Brad struck out on his own, and for about the next five years learned through trial and error how to train reiners and cow horses. Brad says, "it was mostly error in those days, but I learned a lot that way".  Eventually, Brad took a break from full time horse training and worked as a police officer in San Diego for eleven years... "I was still shoeing every weekend and riding a few horses, but I was definitely focused on the police career.  The interesting thing was that during those years I also had a chance to ride with some very good horse trainers.  I came away with a better perspective on life and a slower attitude toward how I trained a horse." 

 

Brad moved to Tennessee in 1997 and began training horses full time again just south of Nashville.  This time success soon followed.  Brad won the first of many NRHA bronze trophies that year, and gives all the credit to the good horses he's been able to ride.  Brad has now lived in Florida since 2004 and love's it. " The weather along with a booming horse culture makes Florida a great place to train and show horses." Brad's biggest year was in 2006 earning over $32,000 in NRHA pize money and an additional $7,000 in NRCHA money along with being a steady name on the top twenty professionals list.  "I love training futurity and derby horses and I continue to pursue that part the business but great owners and clients are what really make all the work worth while!"  Brad loves to show good horses as well as coaching youth kids and non pros.  "Seeing the horses I train and the riders I coach succeed and reach their goals is very exciting and the real payoff of this whole thing!" 

 

Brad is a member of the NRHA Professionals as well as an NRHA  (reining) and NRCHA  (cow horse) Judge.  Brad was part of the NRHA Futurity Judging team in 2009.  Brad is also currently the president of the Dixie Reined Cow Horse Association.

 

 

Esther grew up here in Florida, just north of Tampa, and has always had a great passion for horses.  Being exposed to reining as a youngster she knew this sport was for her.  She got her first reining horse at age 18 and so it began.  Esther loves taking great care of the show horses as well as the foals born here... she also loves to ride!   She is very busy with the daily work of managing the ranch operation as well as being mom to Grace and our new daughter expected in July.       

 

 

Training Assistant

 

Joshua Glover started working for Brad and Esther full time as of January 1, 2010.  Josh and Esther grew up near each other in the Tampa area and are actually cousins.  Josh began his horse career under the direction of Gene Chaires in the Tampa area taking lessons and eventually working for Gene.  Josh purchased a two year old and under the direction of George Aldredge helped to train this horse from start to finish and went on to show in several futurities including the Non Pro Futurity at the Congress.  Josh graduated from Florida State and is a die hard Seminole's fan.  Last year while running his own business in Tallahassee Josh began taking day trips to Morriston to ride with Brad.  He did this consistantly at his own expense most of the year several days per week.  Josh realized he truly had a heart for training horses which really took him back to his childhood plans of pursuing a career in the horse business.  Josh and his wife Eleana moved to Ocala  in January so he could begin working full time training horses as Brad's assistant.

 

Josh does a great job giving lessons and training. Josh is enrolled in the NRHA apprentice program and is currently showing in the Rookie Professional level at NRHA shows.  He is a great asset to the team both at home and at the horse shows!