Jared is originally from Lowell, Massachusetts and got his first taste of reining horses at a very young age. Jared started riding reining horses with his uncle Toby Tyler, an NRHA trainer & judge, of Peperell, MA. During high school Jared would go to his uncle’s farm on the weekends and help start the young horses as well as riding the show horses. He spent most of his summer vacation at the farm and traveling to local NRHA shows where he showed reiners as a youth.
After graduating high school Jared decided to continue following his dream of becoming a professional reining trainer. Knowing that education is important, Jared decided to attend The University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio because of their intensive equestrian program. While attending U of F Jared worked on his Bachelor of Science degree and met his wife-to-be Heather Koone, also a student in the equestrian program. In order to further his experience in the show pen Jared joined the university’s Intercollegiate Horse Show Association team. In 2000 Jared earned the Reserve Individual Reining IHSA National Championship. Then, in 2001 he captured the Individual Reining National Championship and also helped the U of F IHSA team take home the Championship in the team competition.
After completing the first semester of his senior year, Jared’s next move of his already promising career was accepting a training position at Quarter Mount Farm in Paxton, MA. Owned by Steve Simon, Quarter Mount Farm was quickly gaining national recognition as the home of Custom Crome, a future NRHA million dollar sire. As head trainer, Jared had many responsibilities while at Quarter Mount Farm. These included all aspects of the training, showing and breeding of the horses at the farm, as well as the overall operation of this prestigious top reining facility. Adding to his growing list of accomplishments Jared showed Steve Simon’s Custom Cappuccino to the Limited Open, Intermediate Open, and Open NERHA year end title. Jared also piloted Custom Tracker to the Reserve Championship in the Limited Open class at the 2003 All American Quarter Horse Congress. In the three years that Jared worked at Quarter Mount Farm he says that he received a lot of valuable experience in operating a successful training and breeding program. |
Jared Leclair and Custom Traveler |
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Jared Leclair and Wowsanic |
2004In January of 2004 the opportunity of a lifetime came to Jared in the form of a phone call placed by friend and mentor Brent Wright to Tim McQuay. Brent told Tim that he knew of a young up-and-coming trainer who was looking for a position as an assistant trainer with a top reining show barn. That same week Tim flew Jared to Texas for an interview and hired him at the end of the first day. Jared was excited to move to the McQuay's Stable in Tioga, Texas; the epicenter of the reining horse world.
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Jared’s next big accomplishment came when he won the Intermediate Open at the 2004 All American Quarter Horse Congress atop Wowsanic. At the 2004 NRHA Futurity Jared got the chance to show Chics Marcie owned by Jake Strang. “Marcie” and Jared made it to the Limited and Intermediate Open Futurity Finals and placed third in the Limited Open Division.
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2005The pairing that would lead to many successes for Jared in the show pen came when owner David Silva and the McQuay’s decided that Jared and 2004 open futurity finalist Dun It In Tinseltown might make a winning pair. The 2005 NRBC was Jared and “Tinsel’s” first show as a team. Working together they posted a 219 in the first go and made it back to the Intermediate Open finals. In the finals they took home the reserve championship by marking a 220 ½ earning them over $16,000. Their next show was the 2005 NRHA Derby where they made it to the Intermediate Finals. As the 2006 show season began, Jared found himself raising the bar by piloting “Tinsel” to his first ever Open Derby Finals at the All American Reining Classic in Las Vegas, NV.
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Jared Leclair and Dun It In Tinseltown |
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2006
Little did Jared know what was in store for him at their next show, the 2006 National Reining Breeders Classic. Jared and “Tinsel” qualified for the Intermediate Open Derby Finals marking the same score that had qualified them the prior year. However, in the finals, the pair put it all together by marking a 222 ½ topping the Intermediate Open Division and taking home the championship. For their efforts, Jared and “Tinsel” won in excess of $28,000.00 in cash and prizes.
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| Tim McQuay soon realized that Jared was not only a talented showman, but also a talented Non Pro instructor. While at McQuay Stables Jared coached Non Pros enabling them to capture several titles including the Limited Non Pro championship at the 2005 NRHA Futurity, the 2006 NRBC Limited Non Pro championship, Reserve Intermediate Non Pro and Novice Horse Non Pro championships at the 2006 NRBC, the Intermediate & Limited Non Pro championships at the 2006 NRHA Derby and the Novice Horse championship at the 2006 Futurity. |
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2006 DerbyThe 2006 NRHA Derby marked another major accomplishment for Jared. By making it back to the Open Derby Finals Jared won the Paint Preferred Award on Especial Diamond owned by Claudio Signori adding to his already impressive résumé.
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Jared Leclair and Especial Diamond |
2007
Jared’s talent and dedication, as well as the opportunity to ride phenomenal horses under the guidance of Tim & Colleen McQuay, gave him the edge he needed to become a successful showman. Jared is grateful for the opportunity he had to be a part of the McQuay team. With direction and support from Tim & Colleen McQuay, Jared felt that 2007 was time for him to take the final step in making his dream a reality.
Consequently, January 2007 marked the end of Jared’s third year as an assistant trainer at McQuay Stables and the beginning of a bright future as owner of his own reining operation, Leclair Performance Horses, located at Legacy Ranch in Pilot Point, Texas.
Jared Leclair and Skips Nu Delta
2007 Winning Ways
Jared has continued his winning ways in 2007, but now as the owner of his own reining horse business. Jared and Skips Nu Delta took the Open Championship at the OKRHA Ride & Slide in Tulsa, OK. The pair’s next stop was in Katy, TX at the NRBC where they won the Novice Horse Open Championship with a score of 148.5!
Jared went on in 2007 to win the NRHA Open class on Gunners Lil Smoke at the Texas Classic, take home the Reserve Intermediate Championship at the Las Vegas Reining Derby on Custom Nifty Nic, and make the Intermediate Futurity Finals at both the SWRHA and NRHA Futurities on Stun Gun.
Not only has Jared been in the winners circle as the rider, but as the Non Pro instructor as well. Starting the New Year out on the right track, Jared assisted Dr. Jim Morgan, DVM and Chexouthisreminic to their 2007 Bill Horn Shoot Out Non-Pro Division championship, where they took home a check for $20,000.00.
Continuing Jared's Non-Pro rider's winning streak, Larry King and Lil Bita Dynamite took Reserve Champion Limited Non Pro at the 2007 Cowboy Capital Show in Stephenville, TX; Reserve Champion Non-Pro and Champion Limited Non-Pro at the 2007 OKRHA Ride & Slide in Tulsa, OK; Reserve Champion Intermediate Non-Pro at the 2007 NRBC.
Victoria Lambert had her best year ever, after moving to Leclair Performance Horses in June of 2007. In 2007 Victoria Lambert and Kickit In The Bud were HOT Non Pro and Intermediate Non Pro Derby Champions, SWRHA Novice Horse Non Pro Co Champion, SWRHA Non Pro Reserve Champion; Victoria and Guaranteed By Amos were 4R Non Pro and Intermediate Non Pro Futurity Champions, SWRHA Intermediate Non Pro Futurity and Leading Mare Champions, and NRHA Non Pro Futurity Finalists.
Jared has reached NRHA lifetime earnings over $95,500 and is looking forward to many successful show seasons to come.
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