Amidst the wild game and lush river bottom land on the South Canadian River in Oklahoma on his family’s historic Bar X Ranch, Leon Harrel learned to respect the land and animals alike. Leon Harrel’s father and grandfather were farmers and cattlemen; they put Leon in a saddle as soon as he could walk. They instilled in young Leon Harrel the intrinsic principles of life and the value of the hard work it takes to maintain it, along with the worth of true friendships.
After moving to California at age 16, Leon Harrel became involved in rodeo for a while and developed a natural ability in many sports. He then began training race horses, but soon realized how much he missed the western element of the horse world that he had grown to love so much.
Leon Harrel then discovered the mesmerizing grace and beauty of the cutting horse, and turned his focus to this discipline. In 1968 Leon Harrel devoted himself exclusively to the cutting horse industry. The strength and cunning intelligence of these athletic horses challenged and fueled Leon Harrel’s dreams. In 1971 Leon Harrel purchased his first training facility in Oakdale, California. In 1983 he made the move to Kerrville, Texas where he and his family set up a ranch in the hill country.
Leon Harrel then began developing many aspects of education by utilizing western lifestyle philosophy, cutting horse training, and horsemanship skills. His programs included Leon Harrel Cutting Clinics, Old West Adventures, personal coaching with his “One Mind and Beyond” program, and professional team coaching. He has perfected and promoted his education, mentoring, consulting, team-building and apprenticeship programs across the United States as well as Australia, Canada, Italy and Germany. Leon Harrel authored a book titled “Cutting,” published by Western Horseman. This popular book, printed in English and several foreign languages, was the first step-by-step guide to this popular family sport. Leon has produced successful instructional videos since 1982. He has been the headliner at leading equine expos and has appeared in television specials on RFD-TV. Leon continues to share his vast knowledge today through cutting clinics, show teams and professional coaching.
Leon Harrel has realized his dreams many times over with five World Championships and has accumulated a remarkable list of achievements. To find out more about Lean Harrel just click HERE to visit the official website.
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