Gerald Alexander Passed on January 8

The National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) was deeply saddened by the passing of Gerald Alexander on January 8, 2025. A legendary figure within the NCHA, Alexander was renowned for his integrity and for the strong foundation he provided to horses as a two-year-old trainer.

Alexander is recognized as one of the top trainers for two-year-old cutting horses in the industry. He grew up in a humble setting in Louisiana, where he worked with Tennessee Walkers, as well as roping and barrel horses. Early in his career, he learned the fundamentals of colt breaking from Wayne Jordan before continuing his training under Barry Holsey. During his time as a two-year-old trainer, Alexander also introduced Bubba Matlock to the sport of cutting.

Over his career in the NCHA, six horses that he trained went on to be NCHA Open Futurity Champions in addition to three Open Reserve Champions, an accomplishment that not many achieve. Twenty-five horses he trained and competed as finalists in the NCHA Open Futurity Finals. 

Horses such as Triple Crown winner Chiquita Pistol, the 2007 NCHA Open Futurity Champion and 2008 NCHA Horse of the Year Highbrow CD, and the 2007 NCHA Open Reserve Champion, Desires Little Rex all got their start in Alexander’s 2-year-old program. Earlier in his career, Alexander started Dainty Freckles, the horse that went on to carry Ronnie Rice to the 1998 Open Futurity title. Rice claimed the same victory in 2001 on another horse trained by Alexander, San Tule Freckles. 

Success remained not only in the family, but also in the training program when Tarin Rice rode He Bea Cat, also started by Alexander, to the NCHA Open Futurity Co-Championship. To date, horses ridden by Alexander have won more than $8,000,000 and counting.

Creating a solid foundation in his program meant steadily building muscles in his horses and placing an emphasis on keeping them sound. With patience and perseverance, Alexander paved a way for champions through muscle memory and repetition. 

In 2024, Alexander was the first recipient of the NCHA Gerald Alexander Excellence Award for his dedication and passion to the association. This award is to be presented at the NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity every three years to a two-year-old trainer who exemplifies integrity and values and contributes to the industry that Alexander represented. 

While deeply saddened by Alexander’s passing, the NCHA aims to honor his memory both in and out of the arena.