Meet the Trainer

Charles McDaniel Head Trainer

Charles McDaniel has had the pleasure of riding, competing, and training show jumping horses since 1969. He started with Orley de Hoyas in San Antonio, Texas, at a small barn owned by the Gillespie family. Shortly after, his mom purchased his first horse, Bilbo Baggins, a limit hunter packer. He was fortunate to show him in Texas for several years until Orley introduced him to a fiery Thoroughbred mare named Wild Turkey. Charles went from limit to Junior Jumpers in six months and competed in the San Antonio Christmas Shows Open Puissance, where they cleared a 6’6″ wall. With her he won many championships and state, zone, and national awards. In 1981 he competed at Harrisburg on the Zone 7 National Junior Jumper team, and he ended his junior career on a high — state champion, Zone 7 champion, and National Reserve Champion.

From there he continued as a professional rider and trainer, including riding for and assisting Col. John Russell. In June 1984 he founded Wild Sunday Farm, which he owned and operated through March 2019. He leased facilities and built a large clientele before purchasing 36 acres in 1999 to build their own place. Wild Sunday was a competitive show barn and a large lesson program; Charles and his students competed successfully in the jumper and hunter divisions nationwide, including at Spruce Meadows, and earned numerous state and national awards. Teenage clients consistently qualified for and competed on North American Young Rider teams. He competed in the grand prix ring against top riders, won many grand prix classes on various horses, and participated in the Pan American Trials and the Olympic Trials for the Seoul Olympic Games with his horse The Cure.

Along the way he was fortunate to ride with and learn from horsemen including Orley de Hoyas, Col. John Russell, Mike McCormick, Joanne and Jimmy Waterman, Allen Smith, Sue Ash, Charlie Weaver, George Morris, Dennis Murphy, Tony Font, Dana de Hoyas, and Allana Featherstone.

Today Charles is Head Trainer at Salty Oak Farm in McClellanville, South Carolina — a private competition and sales barn — where he continues to train horses and riders for the hunter/jumper show ring.