The big business of horse training and reining will be the theme of the September 11 “Fridays at Findlay” presentation at the University of Findlay.
Brandon Brant of Brant Performance Horses and a “Million Dollar Rider” will be the featured speaker, discussing “What Horses Have Taught Me About Life, Business, and People.”
Brant earned bachelor’s degrees in equestrian studies and business management from UF in 2005, launching him on a career where he would be learning, reining, and training with esteemed horsemen from Ohio to Texas.
He has achieved more than a decade of significant wins in the show pen – most recently, taking Level 3 and 4 Champions at the North American Reining Stakes Open Futurity.
Last month, the National Reining Horse Association announced that Brant achieved the elite status of surpassing $1 million in NRHA lifetime earnings and is their newest Million Dollar Rider in the industry.
He and his wife, Cathy ’04, who graduated from UF’s English equestrian program, now operate Brant Performance Horses in Logan County, Ohio.
Area residents are invited to attend as Brant shares lessons from the saddle, why he loves the hard work of a challenge, and how they made it through a devastating fire at their barns in 2024.
This event is the first of many campus activities this year celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Western Equestrian program, in conjunction with the English Equestrian and Animal Science/Pre-Veterinary programs.
In August 1976, Dale Wilkinson, a nationally respected horseman and the man who would later be called the “father of modern reining,” moved his farm to Findlay College and helped launch what would become one of the most celebrated collegiate equestrian programs in the country. It also built a foundation for the UF English Equestrian and Animal Science/Pre-Vet programs.
Today, the three legacy programs at the University stand 742 students strong, with more than 400 horses and 600 to 800 head of livestock on two farms. The Animal Science/Pre-Vet program is one of the largest of its kind in the country, and its graduates have been accepted to all 28 accredited veterinary medicine schools in the nation.
The “Fridays at Findlay” event is open to the public and will take place in the Alumni Memorial Union on the UF campus. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. for a breakfast buffet with the presentation from 7:50 to 9 a.m.
Sponsored by WesBanco, the Fridays at Findlay lecture series encourages continued educational opportunities for members of the community, the campus, and alumni.
Register online by September 9 at www.findlay.edu/FridaysAtFindlay or call University Advancement at 419-434-5334 for more information. The fee is $14 for adults and $6 for students.
