Since 1970, Al Dunning has owned and operated Almosta Ranch, a Quarter Horse training facility in Scottsdale, Arizona. Born in Chicago in 1950, Al’s family moved to Arizona when he was 8 years old. He began riding horses with his sisters and went on to further his talents with mentors such as Jim Paul, John Hoyt and Don Dodge.

Al has received multiple honors including American Quarter Horse Association’s Professional Horseman of the Year in 1996 and the NCHA Zane Schulte Trainer of the Year award in 2003. In addition, he trained and showed the great buckskin performance horse Expensive Hobby, who was inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame in 2007. Al and his students have garnered 45 World and Reserve World titles in NCHA, AQHA, NRCHA, and NRHA.

A past president of the AZQHA, Al is one of the founding members of the Arizona Quarter Horse Youth Association and was Charter President. With the AQHA, Al is a Director at Large and hasserved as Chairman of the Judges Committee and the Show Committee. He has judged the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity four times, the AQHA World Show three times, and the NRCHA Derby twice.

An author of many articles, multiple educational and training videos, and five books-Reining, Reining Revised, The Art of Hackamore Training, The Ultimate Level of Horsemanship, and Down The Fence. Al is always eager to share his knowledge, philosophies and training skills. Al has taught clinics all over the world and has mentored many successful and notable professional trainers in the industry today.

Al and his wife Becky have been married since 1971. The Dunnings have two children, Grady Dunning and McKenzie Parkinson, and two Granddaughters, Gracie and Hadley Parkinson.