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Austin Shepard Received Zane Schulte Award

Oct 18, 2022, 12:10 PM by National Cutting Horse Association

Austin Shepard has been selected as the 2022 recipient of the Zane Schulte Award

AUSTIN SHEPARD RECEIVES ZANE SCHULTE AWARD

FORT WORTH – The National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) is pleased to share that Austin Shepard of Summerdale, Alabama, has been selected as the 2022 recipient of the Zane Schulte Award.

The Zane Schulte Award was established in 2001 in honor of the late Zane Schulte, son of Tom and Barbra Schulte. This annual award is presented to a professional trainer who exemplifies the character by which Zane himself is remembered: integrity, service, values, respect of their peers, contribution to the industry, and excellence in the arena.

“Austin is a humble man who has great integrity and is always working to make the NCHA stronger and better for all,” said Julie Beasley, one of Shepard’s nominators. “Austin is a true champion who has achieved tremendous success in cutting, but he also sees the lifetime connections people make and the value of friendships to be just as important.”

An active NCHA member since 1985, Shepard grew up in the cutting horse business as his late father, Sam, was a trainer and also a recipient of the Zane Schulte Award in 2009. Shepard now operates Austin Shepard Cutting Horses out of Summerdale where he trains cutting horses and riders of all levels.

“It’s a huge honor to receive the award, and it is extra special to me because my dad was a previous recipient. The fact that I am lucky enough to know the entire Schulte family, including Zane, and that they have been livelong friends of ours makes it that much better.”

Shepard will be presented with the Jan Mapes sculpture during the upcoming 2022 NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity.