Rick Meyer - Awardee 1993

In the early 1970s, Rick Meyer started working first with Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses and Polo Ponies, but after owning and training Walking Horses, Saddlebreds, Morgans, Fox Trotters and Icelandic's, he knew that he had a special connection to the gaited breeds.

So in 1978, he started extensive training and breeding in Paso Finos. After winning his first National and Grand National Championship in 1979, he then took steps toward becoming more involved in the breed. In the early 1980's, Rick became a Certified Judge and Steward, then earned his Senior Certification as a Judge. He co-authored the first "step-by-step" training book for Paso Finos with Winona Walton. Today, "Horse Sense in Training" is in it's 5th printing.

After conducting numerous training clinics around the country in states such as AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, KS, MA, NC, NY, TX, OR, and WA, his name became very well known to people of all different backgrounds and levels of horsemanship. His "no-nonsense" answers to the hard questions from trail riders to greenbreaking to the fully trained horse, makes him one the most "well-rounded" clinician's out there today.

In 1993, Rick was honored as "Trainer of the Year" by his peers.

Throughout 1995 to 1999, he served as President of the Paso Fino Horse Association. Rick also judged the prestigious 1997 World Cup in Cali, Colombia, South America.

To date, Rick has won over 100 National and numerous Grand National Championships and specializes in training Amateur Owners and Youth riders. His most recent achievements include winning the 2004 Grand National Performance Stallions and Colts Championship. He also coached (with the help of his daughter, Christy) two of Royal Oak Ranch's youth riders to their respective 2004 National Championship titles in Equitation Jr. and Equitation Sub-Jr. in Perry, Georgia.

Since 1998, Rick has been involved with the St. Louis Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association and is the current President. And just for fun, he and his wife, Janice enjoy competing in the Cowboy Mounted Shoots around the country. As of January 2005, Rick was named the Chairman of the Judges & Stewards Committee.