When Scott Purdum told Northern Illinois Horse Festival promoter, Wayne Williams that he'd like to see some livelier horses for the upcoming trainer challenge, he really didn't envision the two year old Arabian mare that occupied his round pen.

"Hey, I like a challenge," said Purdum. "When it comes down to it, the breed doesn't matter as much as the ability to read your horse and do the right thing to keep her calm and focusing on you," explained Purdum.

Scott Purdum is the 22 year old "wonder kid" of the horse training circuit who has spent the vast majority of his life working toward a successful career in the equine industry.

"I have always loved horses and I love watching the horses and riders that I work with come together and become a team. One of my goals is to teach people to understand how a horse thinks and acts."

Purdum is an accomplished rider, a sought after clinician, and trainer. He recently served as a judge for the Trainer Challenge in North Carolina.

"People give me a bit of a hard time about my age, calling me the "Doogie Howser" of the horse trainer line up. It doesn't bother me. I've worked hard to obtain the skills I have and I have studied to understand the theories and concepts that prove why the skills work. I think I am just fortunate to know what path my life would take from very early on. I see my age as an asset," Purdum said.

Purdum challenged Kerry Kuhn of Coats, Kansas, and T.J. Clibborn of Westfield, Indiana, in the two day, three session competition. NITC is a part of the East coast Trainer Challenge Championship. "Kerry and TJ both did an excellent job with their horses and I was quite honored to be competing with them," said Scott. "I learned a lot from both of them."

Scott will meet North Carolina Challenge winner Brock Griffith and the winner from the upcoming Arkansas challenge at the finals in Richmond, VA at the end of October.

Scott's riding career began at age three when he showed an unusual interest in horses. He loved being in the barn and with horses more than anywhere else. He started riding and showed great promise and understanding of horses very early on. He was showing at the age of five and he just kept going from there. After attending the University of MD he worked as an intern in a training and show barn where he began to formulate his own training program. He returned to his farm in Union Bridge, MD where he now resides and trains using the techniques he has successfully developed. You can see Scott at Expos and clinics throughout the United States.

For more info, visit Scott's website at www.advantagehorsemanship.com