About Shawn Hays

West Texas native, Shawn Hays gained his passion for horses and competing from his grandmother, Judy Hays, who bred and showed AQHA halter and all-around horses. As a youth, Shawn competed in all-around events, then he decided to go professional and went to apprentice with JD Yates. After several years working for Yates, Jay Holmes and then Carousel Farms training and showing rope horses, Shawn decided to go out on his own, and he soon discovered he enjoyed the reined cowhorse competitions. In 2005, after working with cowhorse trainer Don Murphy, Shawn began competing in limited age cowhorse events and placed in the top 10 in the Limited Open at the Snaffle Bit Futurity that year. Since then, he has earned over $670,000 in competition. He is a two-time Reserve World’s Greatest Horseman. He has also won four AQHA World Championships in Working Cowhorse and Ranch Riding. He won the Senior Working Cowhorse aboard Shine Smartly at the 2010 AQHA World Show, and he won the Junior Working Cowhorse in 2013 riding TheCrowdLovesMe, a son of Shine Smartly. Shawn went on to also win the 2014 NRCHA World Champion Two Rein and 2015 AQHA World Championship Senior Ranch Riding with TheCrowdLovesMe. Shawn and Red River Rivalry won the 2015 NRCHA Hackamore Classic Open Championship. He has also been a finalist and finished in the top ten at the NRCHA Stakes, Hackamore Classic, NRCHA Derby and the Snaffle Bit Futurity. Shawn also has great success training Non-Pro riders, who have won NRCHA World and Reserve World Champions in the Bridle classes.