Gildo Minichiello dreamed of horses chasing the wind. When his home country of Italy didn’t offer the tools necessary to achieve his dream, he hopped the pond to America to pursue a life as a horse trainer.
Chasing a dream is never easy. Chasing one in a foreign country, in a foreign language, in a sport you weren’t born into takes something else entirely.
Gildo Minichiello was 19 years old when he partnered with his nonna — his grandmother — to buy his first horse, a decision that would change everything. He was raised in Mirabella Eclano, a small town in Southern Italy, a world away from the sport that would one day define his life.
He may not have come from a horse family, but he came from something just as powerful — unshakeable support.
“My parents don’t know anything about this world,” Gildo says, “but they always encouraged me. My dad has never wavered in his support, and my mom has been there every step of the way, too. They supported every crazy dream I had.”
Gildo at home in Weatherford, Texas (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of Katie Grassi).
Like many Italians, Gildo’s life revolved around family and food. Meals weren’t rushed — they were rituals, shared daily around a table with relatives and deep tradition. Most of his days were spent in his uncle’s butcher shop, where he worked as a butcher for nearly a decade. He knew every face that walked through the door and took pride in feeding his community the fresh, high-quality food Italy is known for. Horses weren’t part of his childhood, but the passion for them simmered under the surface.
He and his nonna spent $350 to $700 each on a horse, with a plan to breed and trade until he could work his way up to something better. Eventually, that’s exactly what he did.
“I was working at the butcher shop and spending all my money on horses,” he recalls. “I’d try to sell or trade for better and better ones, and I finally ended up with my first quarter horse. I paid $6,000. That was all the money I had.”
Gildo’s passion eventually pulled him away from the butcher shop. In Southern Italy, becoming a horse trainer seemed like an impossible goal. Horses didn’t provide food or income like pigs or cows — many saw them as a luxury. But Gildo was undeterred.
He started working with an old friend, Gulio Negri, driving 40 miles each way — without pay — to clean stalls and help with horses.
“I spent all my money on gas. I was going there every day, and I spent every cent I had to try and learn from him. He always told me, 'Don’t give up. Keep going.' I think he saw something in me.”
Gildo at the 2025 NCHA Summer Spectacular (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of Seth Petit Photography).
That connection eventually led to Pietro Valeri, head trainer at Rosy O’Grady’s Cutting Horses in Italy, where he and his wife, Martina Annovazzi, were a key part of the renowned program owned by Marco Salvatori and Rosanna Bazzani. It was an opportunity Gildo knew was once-in-a-lifetime. He drove through the night to interview and still gets emotional remembering Pietro riding up to greet him. He would spend four transformative years there.
“Rosanna and Marco treated me like I was part of the family. You don’t find people like them every day. This is why I get emotional. They were my second family, and they are how I got into cutting.”
At Rosy O’Grady’s, Gildo met legendary U.S.-based cutting horse legends like Matt Gaines, Paul Hansma, and Michael Cooper, who visited to give clinics. In true cowboy fashion, Michael and his son Lance Cooper told him, “Come to America — we got you!”
After a short stint training cutting horses in Hungary — at Pietro’s recommendation — that’s exactly what Gildo did.
When he arrived in the U.S., he stayed with his best friend and fellow Italian, Davide Facincani, who was training 2-year-olds for Michael Cooper. Gildo didn’t speak English but was determined to find a path forward. He helped Davide at shows and hustled to make connections, no matter the language barrier.
Michael Cooper helped again — this time by introducing him to professional cutting horse trainer Kody Porterfield. Kody offered him a job, helped him secure a work visa, and welcomed him into his program. Gildo credits Kody and Cheyenne’s young daughter, Claire, with helping him learn English.
“They gave me everything they could in that moment. They are a great family.”
Gildo and Lil Metal Rebel "Bucket" at the 2024 NCHA World Finals (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of Performance Horse Central).
Eventually, the Porterfields told Gildo he was too green for their program, and they parted ways on good terms. Michael Cooper gave him a job cleaning stalls and picking up rocks and roots on a new property he was building — just to help him stay afloat after leaving Kody’s.
At that point, it would’ve been easy to feel like the dream of training horses was slipping away. But Gildo never lost perspective.
“Even when I was cleaning stalls, I concentrated on the bigger picture. I tried to keep it always there as a reminder — hey don’t give up. Don’t give up that dream.”
After about a month, one more trainer entered the picture — NCHA Hall of Fame trainer Gavin Jordan. Jordan had a couple of 2-year-olds that needed riding, and Lance Cooper suggested that Gildo reach out.
Gildo rode the two horses, and Gavin hired him soon after. Over the next four years, Gildo worked closely with Gavin and his wife, Rebecca. He recalls, with emotion, that it was the best thing that could have ever happened to him. Gavin, a $3 million rider, became more than just a boss — he became a mentor and a second father figure. Thousands of miles from his own mom and dad, Gildo considers the Jordans his American family.
“The best thing I can say about Gildo is he is loyal, dependable, trustworthy, and hardworking, which is going to make him succeed in the industry. He will make his own legacy for sure,” says Gavin.
Four years later, Gavin came to Gildo with one last offer. After an extraordinary career, Gavin had decided it was time to retire — and he wanted Gildo to take over the business.
“My dream came true. Now I just need to keep living it.”
Gildo at home in Weatherford, Texas (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of Katie Grassi).
Today, Gildo runs Gildo Minichiello Performance Horses, training cutting horses for open, nonpro, amateur, and limited-aged events. Just before officially taking the reins from Gavin, he became the first European to qualify for the NCHA World Finals — riding Lil Metal Rebel, the first horse he started as a colt and trained. He now runs his own barn full of horses and clients, building a name as one of the most promising young trainers in the NCHA.
Anyone who’s ever chased a dream knows how hard it is. Anyone who’s had a goal just out of reach knows how tempting it is to quit. Gildo never did. He left his family, his language, and his culture behind, moving 5,700 miles to Weatherford, Texas — the cutting horse capital. His dream wasn’t handed to him. He carved it out for himself.
“I gambled everything. My life has been a gamble since I got into horses.”
But it’s a gamble that seems to be paying off. Gildo has a deep love for horses and a true passion for the sport. What keeps him going is that moment it all clicks — the spark in a horse’s eye when it finally understands the job.
Gildo smiles, thinking of how far he’s come. If his younger self could see him now? “For sure he would be super-happy. After a lot of struggling, now you are there. Now is the beginning of the new dream — to keep the dream alive.”
Watch C&I’s Full Interview With The Italian Cowboy
VIDEO: Courtenay DeHoff
