Introducing the Judges & Crew for the Young Guns Challenge:
Rocking Heart Ranch is honoured to have an esteemed group of judges and hosts joining us for the 2025 Young Guns Challenge... find out more about their accomplishments, personalities, and qualifications below~
Dustin Sippola - Judge
Dustin is originally from Nanton, AB and has been riding colts since the age of 11 but has been
horseback as far as he can remember. Fortunate enough he has been able to make a life on the back of a
horse from riding for ranches from British Columbia to Saskatchewan all the while maintaining a colt
starting business. While Dustin has competed in many colt starting challenges, such as Equine horse
Expo, Heart of the Horse and Road to the Horse in the past he is ready to take a step back and focus on
helping individuals with their own connections with their horses by offering colt starting and
Horsemanship clinics (check out more at sippolacoltstarting.com). Dustin and his family live at Pekisko
Creek while he has taken on the Cowboss position at Pekisko Creek Ranch where he responsible for
cattle, running a crew and starting the colts and preparing them for the ranch and arena. Dustin has
found a balance with combining the cattle and horses. He still finds time to ride a few of their own but in
his down time he is usually helping someone with a horse, twisting a reata or braiding rawhide.
Rod Olsen - Judge
Rod Olsen grew up in Southern Alberta along the “Cowboy Trail,” in the small community of
Leavitt, Alberta. There, he and his wife Jackie raised their six children—fifth-generation on his family’s homestead. Horses have always been a central part of Rod’s life. Following in the footsteps of his trainer father, Dee Olsen, Rod started his first colt at the age of eight. From there, his passion for training quality horses only grew. He learned early on that when working with horses, respect, patience, and a gentle hand go a long way in building a trusting, confident, and willing partner. Rod has developed a training program focused on helping both horse and rider reach their highest potential. He is an accomplished farrier and horseman, training horses for a variety of disciplines, giving clinics, and sharing his knowledge with students at Red Crow College. One thing all of Rod’s horses have in common is a great start. His love for his trade is evident as he never tires of the challenges. He lives by the principle, “leave ‘em better than you found ‘em,” whether it be towards the human kind or the four legged. In relation to the horse, sometimes this comes in small successes with time, but Rod has always believed in doing the right things first, and laying a solid foundation to build on. His greatest joy has been working alongside and raising his horse-loving family, and now, enjoying time with his horse-crazy grandchildren. Rod is the 2011 and 2013 winner of the Canadian Colt Breaking Challenge, as well as the 2014 champion of the Rocking Heart Ranch Colt Starting Competition. The following year, he had the privilege of judging the same competition. In 2017, he won the Horse3 NAERIC Trainers Challenge in Brandon, Manitoba. Most recently, in 2024, he was the champion of the Everything Equine on the Border Colt Starting Competition in Lloydminster.
Leavitt, Alberta. There, he and his wife Jackie raised their six children—fifth-generation on his family’s homestead. Horses have always been a central part of Rod’s life. Following in the footsteps of his trainer father, Dee Olsen, Rod started his first colt at the age of eight. From there, his passion for training quality horses only grew. He learned early on that when working with horses, respect, patience, and a gentle hand go a long way in building a trusting, confident, and willing partner. Rod has developed a training program focused on helping both horse and rider reach their highest potential. He is an accomplished farrier and horseman, training horses for a variety of disciplines, giving clinics, and sharing his knowledge with students at Red Crow College. One thing all of Rod’s horses have in common is a great start. His love for his trade is evident as he never tires of the challenges. He lives by the principle, “leave ‘em better than you found ‘em,” whether it be towards the human kind or the four legged. In relation to the horse, sometimes this comes in small successes with time, but Rod has always believed in doing the right things first, and laying a solid foundation to build on. His greatest joy has been working alongside and raising his horse-loving family, and now, enjoying time with his horse-crazy grandchildren. Rod is the 2011 and 2013 winner of the Canadian Colt Breaking Challenge, as well as the 2014 champion of the Rocking Heart Ranch Colt Starting Competition. The following year, he had the privilege of judging the same competition. In 2017, he won the Horse3 NAERIC Trainers Challenge in Brandon, Manitoba. Most recently, in 2024, he was the champion of the Everything Equine on the Border Colt Starting Competition in Lloydminster.
Carola Sossdorf - Host
Carola Sossdorf is the owner of ProHorse Training, based in Madden, Alberta. She specializes in starting young horses and working with so-called “problem horses,” always with a focus on fairness and understanding. Her true passion lies in Liberty Training, where she helps horse owners build deep, willing partnerships—without ropes or force. Carola has dedicated her life to studying horse behavior, instincts, and brain function, developing a unique training approach that is truly Pro-Horse.
“We have to learn their language in order to teach them ours. And our languages are so different—us being predators, and horses being prey animals.”
This philosophy is at the heart of her clinics, where she guides participants in creating real connection and communication with their horses. Carola is an international clinician, known for helping people understand their horses on a deeper level and train in ways their horses truly understand.
Makayla Gross - Host
Makayla Gross was raised on a farm and ranch in Southern Alberta, where she started working with colts at the age of 12. After gaining experience from reining, cutting, and dressage trainers, she began showing in the all-around events, and continued to work with colts and "problem horses" where she found a deep passion in educating both horses and humans. This led her to travel to the UK for a dressage internship to further develop her understanding of technical training and biomechanics. She later accepted a colt-starting position at a facility in Scotland before moving to Germany to work at an AQHA reining barn, where she served as the colt starter under the guidance of International Judge and coach Lucy Adams. Upon her return to Canada, Makayla founded M7 Horsemanship and continues to help educate both horses on humans. She believes in "taking more time so it takes less time," emphasizing practical horsemanship, building strong groundwork foundations, and producing horses that are both technically correct and mentally prepared for a variety of disciplines.