Michael Butler,
son of Bud Butler, grandson of Tom Butler
See the Butler Family on the Saddlebred Trainer List
 Last Modified 5/27/2011
Michael Butler, son of Bud and Michelle Butler, and trainer at Stoner Ridge Farm in Paris, KY, (www.stonerridgefarm.com) is one of only 100 horse/rider combinations who made it through the audition round and are final contestants in the new reality TV show, "America's Favorite Trail Horse", which will air on HRTV in September 2011. Michael is a third generation horse trainer, but is the first in his family to train and show Mountain Horses. His mount for the competition is MX Wrangler.
Wrangler is a beautiful smoky crème 5 year old Mountain Horse stallion with a fantastic temperament! He is a horse with a lot of talent. He has an easy going nature about him and takes everything in stride. He carries the flag with pride, performs well in trail obstacle, and wins on the rail. He has a beautiful canter in the Open Four Gait Class. In 2010 Wrangler was the Rocky Mountain Horse Show Pleasure Kentucky State Champion, the United Mountain Horse Super Horse Award Winner, and the Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse Association Al Prewitt Versatility Award winner.
Wrangler is owned by Jim and Kathy Wilkerson from Wappapello, MO, and he’s being trained and shown by Michael Butler.

For more information, see his pedigree here: http://stonerridgefarm.com/ST_MX_Wrangler.html

Selected as a Finalist for ACTHA’s America’s Favorite Trail Horse

CHAMPIONSHIPS/HIGH POINT AWARDS

  • UMH KY State Championship - Open 4 Gait - 1st
  • RMH Kentucky State Championship - Show Pleasure Stallions - 1st
  • RMH Kentucky State Championship - Show Pleasure Championship - 1st
  • RMH Kentucky State Championship - Gaited Dressage - 1st
  • UMH World Show – Open 4 Gait – 1st (Unanimous)
  • UMH World Show – Jr. Robinson Super Horse Award
  • KMSHA International - 4+ Stallions Classic - 2nd
  • KMSHA International - Open 4 Gait - 1st
  • KMSHA International - Natural Horsemanship - 2nd
  • KMSHA International - Al Prewitt Versatility Award
  • RMH High Point Show Pleasure Championship – 2nd
  • UMH High Point - Open 4 Gait - 2nd
Michael and Wrangler auditioned for their part in the show in Tennessee in early April, and upon finding out they were picked as finalists, they travelled to Texas to film the 13 episode series in mid-May. None of the contestants will know the outcome of the competition until it airs on television because America will do the voting! Make sure to tune in this fall and watch Mike and Wrangler overcoming obstacles, doing a competitive trail ride and hamming it up for the cameras!

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