Casey Wright
 Wright in 2013 | |
| Occupation | Horse trainer |
|---|---|
| Discipline | Performance Tennessee Walking Horse |
| Born | September 1, 1981 |
| Major wins/Championships |
|
| Honors | |
| Trainer of the Year | |
| Significant horses | |
| I Am Jose | |
Casey Wright (born September 1, 1981) is an American horse trainer based in Reagan, Henderson County, Tennessee. Wright became notable for training, riding, and showing the Tennessee Walking Horse I Am Jose, who won three World Grand Championships in consecutive years, 2013 to 2015. Wright was also named Trainer of the Year in 2013.
Personal life
Wright was born September 1, 1981, and lives in Reagan, Henderson County, Tennessee.[1] He has a brother named Michael, who is also a horse trainer.[2]
Career
Wright operates a training stable in Reagan, Tennessee, with his brother Michael.[2] Casey Wright trained and rode the three-time World Grand Champion Tennessee Walking Horse stallion, I Am Jose.[3] I Am Jose and Wright won the four-year-old stallion World Championship at the 2013 Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration.[4] Wright and the horse's owners, Billy and Debbie Woods of Lexington, Tennessee, made the decision to enter I Am Jose in the open World Grand Championship, which he won on Wright's birthday.[4] I Am Jose, who beat a class of 8 horses to win, also made history by being the first four-year-old to win the World Grand Championship since Shaker's Shocker in 1966.[1] Wright was also named winner of the Trainer of the Year award by the Walking Horse Trainers' Association.[4] The next year, Wright entered I Am Jose in the World Grand Championship and won again, becoming the first repeat winner since Go Boy's Shadow in 1955 and 1956.[1] The 2014 competition was made somewhat harder on the horses by the fact that it had rained for 5 hours by the time the class was called, making the arena footing slippery.[1] Wright said, "It was a little bit slick, but it was pretty firm up in under it."[1] In 2015, Wright and I Am Jose won their third consecutive World Grand Championship in front of a crowd of 15,000.[2] They are only the second horse and rider team to do so, after The Talk of the Town and his trainer Steve Hill in 1951–1953.[2][3]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Chip Cirillo (31 August 2014). "I Am Jose Wins 2nd straight Walking Horse Celebration Championship". The Tennessean. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 Mike Organ (6 September 2015). "I Am Jose 3-peats at Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration". The Tennessean. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
- 1 2 John I. Carney (6 September 2015). "Triple Play: I Am Jose earns third World Grand Championship". Shelbyville Times-Gazette. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
- 1 2 3 John I. Carney (1 September 2013). "I Am Jose named World Grand Champion". Shelbyville Times-Gazette. Retrieved 18 May 2016.