W. Bret Calhoun is an American Thoroughbred

Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...

 racehorse trainer

Horse trainer

In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...

. The son of a school teacher who also owned and trained horses, he attended Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...

 but left before graduating.

Calhoun began his professional training career in 1993 and earned his first win on April 1, 1994. He has competed regularly at Louisiana Downs and Fair Grounds Race Course

Fair Grounds Race Course

Fair Grounds Race Course, often known as New Orleans Fair Grounds, is a thoroughbred racetrack and racino in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is operated by Churchill Downs Louisiana Horseracing Company, LLC....

 in Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

 and in Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 at Sam Houston Race Park

Sam Houston Race Park

Sam Houston Race Park is a horse racing track located in unincorporated northwest Houston, Texas, United States. The park hosts both Thoroughbred horse racing and American Quarter Horse each year along with Country Music, Rock music, and Classic rock concerts....

, Remington Park

Remington Park

Remington Park is a horse racing track and casino located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Built in 1988, it was the first world-class pari-mutuel track in Oklahoma. Remington Park was built by the late Edward J. DeBartolo Sr., the shopping mall developer who also owned Thistledown in Cleveland, Ohio...

, and Lone Star Park

Lone Star Park

Lone Star Park is a horse racing track located in Grand Prairie, Texas.-History:Lone Star Park opened in 1997. The track offers separate meets for Thoroughbred racing and Quarter Horse racing. In October 2002, Magna Entertainment Corp. , based in Aurora, Ontario, leased the facility and acquired...

. In Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

 in 2008, Calhoun won the Aegon Turf Sprint Stakes

Aegon Turf Sprint Stakes

The Aegon Turf Sprint Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Previously known as the Churchill Downs Turf Sprint Stakes, it is a five furlong sprint on turf open to horses age three and older....

 at Churchill Downs

Churchill Downs

Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...

 and the Grade I

Graded stakes race

A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...

 Shakertown Stakes

Shakertown Stakes

The Shakertown Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid April at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. Raced on turf over a sprint distance of 5.5 furlongs, it is open to horses three years of age and older...

 at Keeneland Race Course

Keeneland

Keeneland is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and sales complex in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. Operated by the Keeneland Association, Inc., it is also known for its reference library on the sport, which contains more than 10,000 volumes, an extensive videocassette collection, and a substantial...

 with Mr. Nightlinger.

In 2008, Bret Calhoun finished fourth in total wins for the year among all trainers in the United States. His horses won 228 races and earned $5,226,163.