Jody Cunningham
Horseman, Clinician & Purina Influential

One might wonder how a young boy, born on a military base in Gelnhausen, Germany, would ever end up being such a great horseman. Moving to New Mexico at a young age introduced him to the Western way of life. But as Jody Cunningham is fond of saying, "Horsemen and women are born, not made."

From Cunningham's first memories, all he has ever wanted was to be the best horseman he could be. He recalls one of his first rides on a pony at age 4. While on the pony's back, the pony turned around grabbed him by the leg and pulled him off its back. Most young kids would have been traumatized by such an event. Not Cunningham – the only thing that concerned him was what he had done to get that reaction from the pony.

One of his first horses, an Appy gelding that his parents purchased for $125, took three weekends to load into a trailer. Again most people would have given up and moved on. Cunningham was determined to get this horse home. This horse was one of his best equine teachers in the life-long journey of becoming a great horseman. Not only did he get the horse home, he turned him into a great show horse. Cunningham and this gelding went on to win the New Mexico Youth Champion title several years in a row.

During his teenage years he spent some time participating in rodeos and riding bulls. At age 16, he attended New Mexico State's Ferrier Science program, graduated tops in his class and obtained the title Master Certified Ferrier. His life has always been in the livestock industry. He has never detoured from the path of becoming a great horseman. Traveling down this path led him to Alaska, where he was able to observe and capture the feral horses that were on the Aleutian Islands. He turned several aged studs that had never seen a human into great saddle horses. Many of the horses he captured and broke were used to gather and work wild cattle and caribou (reindeer); in fact, gathering 7,500 caribou on a 650-square-mile island was quite a feat.

Cunningham then spent some time in Colorado guiding hunters. This adventure led him to Texas and eventually to the small town of Crockett. This is where he met and married his wife Susan. Susan has the same love of animals as Cunningham. Growing up on a registered Brangus Ranch, Susan spent her teenage years showing cattle but always wanting a horse. Once she and Cunningham married, she realized her dream. Cunningham has been the biggest influence in her life with horses. Together the couple has continued down the path that was started when they were both young kids.

Cunningham's methods revolve around the natural instincts of the horse. It is all about getting the human to think more like a horse. Once humans change their way of thinking, a whole new world will open up to them. His methods work for all riding disciplines. As Cunningham says, "The foundation is the same, no matter the breed or discipline."

Jody and Susan Cunningham are Lifetime Members of the National Foundation Quarter Horse Association (NFQHA) and regularly contribute articles to the NFQHA Journal.

2008 Show Recap/2009 Schedule

Website: www.jodycunningham.com