By Nick Pedley
News Editor 

One wild ride

Hartley native wins S.D. show horse trainer of the year

 

January 12, 2023

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Hartley native Randy Guggisberg has enjoyed a variety of unique experiences during his successful career as a show horse trainer.

Ever since he was a little boy, Randy Guggisberg knew he wanted to work with horses.

Decades later, he's still riding and reaping the rewards for his hard work. This weekend he'll accept the award for show horse trainer of the year from the South Dakota Quarter Horse Association during a ceremony in Pierre.

"It feels very humbling to win this and I have lots of people to thank for it," Guggisberg said. "There have been a lot of hard hours that went into this. Without good clients, good horses and great employees, this wouldn't be possible."

Guggisberg grew up on a farm west of Hartley. His parents, Mark and Susan Guggisberg, had their son on a horse as soon as he was able to ride, which sparked a lifelong passion that still burns hot today.

"It was a calling," Guggisberg said. "I can remember sitting on the porch with my dad and the neighbor, and they asked what I wanted to do when I grew up. It was train horses."

From trail riding to rodeo, Guggisberg has done it all. His love of all things equine led him to open Sliding G Performance Horses in 2005, and he's grown the business into one of the region's premier horse training facilities in the years since.

Guggisberg trains between 25-30 horses at a time at the Custer, S.D.-based business. His clients hail from all over the United States with many sitting in the upper echelons of society.

A typical show horse runs between $75,000-$100,000, give or take a few grand.

"I've trained horses for movie stars, NFL players and other famous people," Guggisberg said. "I have a lot of great stories from meeting a lot of great people over the years, so it's hard for me to give one really cool story in this business that stands out."

Not only does Guggisberg train horses for his clients, but he shows them as well. He shows reigning horses, which are "very willfully guided" animals, that go through a variety of tasks in the show ring like following patterns, completing circles and spins, and doing sliding stops.

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Randy Guggisberg

"The best way to explain it to people that don't know is that it's kind of like I drive NASCAR," Guggisberg said. "I take the horse through the routine, and we get marked at how proficient the horse is on those procedures."

It typically takes between 16 months and two years to train a show horse. Guggisberg has three employees at Sliding G, and also offers a breeding program for top-end animals.

Guggisberg is quick to admit that his career has been as wild and unpredictable as a bucking bronco. He's grateful for all of it and is looking forward to wherever the trail takes him next.

"I've never doubted that I was gonna be a cowboy and horse trainer forever," he said. "This business has been so good to me. I've lived a full and interesting life."

 
 

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