Q - You just arrived in Rio Verde,
MARCELO GUZMAN
AZ - Tell us about your new location. A - It was a long journey before making this dream happen. I needed to accomplish a lot of things, sport and business ways to be able to move here, but since we wanted it so bad, we worked hard for several years in Europe, Chile, Texas and Kansas before being blessed to find a fabulous location in Rio Verde Dr at 174st at Janey Vatcher’s beautiful SJ Ranch. We have everything needed to be able to train: nice big arena & cutting pen, both with great footing, horse walker, spacious stalls, cattle, turn outs and all the equipment needed to work the arenas professionally.
training. I believe that horses that work willingly, learn faster, last longer and can face any challenge. I’ve seen enough of useless horses that move pretty but at the end of the day are dangerous in front of a new challenge. Ground work is my signature, my horses need to behave perfectly and have great manners before I even think of putting a blanket on. I’ve learned from great horsemen and horsewomen from 3 continents and there are a lot of things in common, but solid ground work is the most frequent similitude.
INTERVIEW
Q - Do you accept all breeds of horses
and levels of training? A - Of course! I’m a horse lover, and all horses are welcome. I can help people Q - You are both from Chile and were to find the right direction for their horses accomplished horse people there, what based on their own skills. Actually, I have are some of your acheivments? very good contacts to import the best Purebred Chilean Horses, Warmbloods, A - Well, I did a lot of showing in different and world class performance Appaloosas. disciplines. As an exchange student in Arabians are a breed that’s always caught Western Australia, I won the National my eye. I love their power and personality Cutting Horse Association Youth High and even if it takes a little longer to train Point Award of that state in 2003. them, I think that the Arabian horse’s In Chile, I was multi National Champion spirit is just something else and not many in all Rodeo Chileno (Chilean working cow 2020 at the Year End ceremony of the horse) categories at both school and university CPRHA, when Marcelo and Lil’Rockstar people understand them. Any horse can be nationals. Yes, I was the guy on TV and Year won the Year End Open, Limited Open and good for something when they are sound, and I’m always looking for exotic breeds. Training End books (he says laughing). I qualified several Intermediate Open Champions. exotics breeds is always a challenge that makes times to the Chilean Rodeo’s National Finals me dream that maybe one day I could train a as an OPEN Rider since I was 17, almost every year that I can horse that will change the course of the industry. I’m a big fan of remember. I also competed in Show Jumping, where I won several Quarter Horses, they are the best horses in the world nowadays, shows including some regional awards. and I think the AQHA and APHA have done an extraordinary job In Reining I won the Chilean Style Reining National, the Reining with their promotion world wide, specially through NRHA and NRBC Chile Open and I still have the CRI3* FEI Reining National record that seems to be turning the reining horse in to a new breed that’s in Chile on my Purebred Chilean stud Lil’ Rockstar. I was qualified creating ‘’Hybrid Vigor’’ out of the best performance horses world in 2014 and 2018 for the FEI World Equestrian Games as part of wide. I’d always prefer a green horse over one that’s all ready the Chilean Reining Team. That season also I placed in FEI Shows started. I don’t care about the breed, a good horse will always be in Europe and Chile which helped me to be #1 in the FEI World a good horse. They may have different purposes in life, but a good Rankings in early 2018. horse will always be a good horse.
Q - What drove you to move to America? A - There are a lot of things involved in this decision. First my
desire to show the Chilean Breed to the world, my dream to help those with different abilities (para-riders) and be a world class trainer, but at the end of the day I can say that it was Al Dunning who inspired me to come. He told me that if I really wanted to be a world class horseman and fulfill my dreams I needed to be in Scottsdale, AZ.
Q - Tell us about some of the training you will be offering? A - have a special passion for colt starting. It motivates me a lot and I consider it safer for myself when I start colts from the very beginning, to be sure that they will have a solid foundation and absolutely no bucking. Reining is my main event but I start horses for multiple disciplines including Jumping and Dressage. I like to reward the willingness of the horse over the shape in the first stages of the
Q - What about the riders, do you accept the Non-Pro and Amateur rider? A - I accept people of all levels and abilities including my favorites that are Para Riders. As an “old school” or trainer and coach that has adopted modern horsemanship techniques, my main goal is to ‘’ Custom train the horses’’ for my customer’s needs. Everyone has a different body conformation, different weight, different balance and different skills. As a horse trainer, I need to make sure that the horses I train will be suitable for my riders and not force my riders to fit in my program. I ride every horse differently, to be able to fit both the horse’s and its rider’s needs. Every team (horse & rider) has their own highs and lows, and my job as a trainer is training the horse to help my riders in their weak areas and coach my riders to work on their own weak spots and excel on their strengths.
Q - You have completed the Team AD program, and have worked
with Al Dunning quite a bit. What was the best part of the program?
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APRIL 2021
