Gilbert participated in the North Carolina Equine Extravaganza Trainer Challenge Colt Starting Competition on July 10-12, 2008, as one of three invited trainers from the southeast.

Each trainer had one hour each day to use natural horsemanship techniques to get his colt ready to accept saddle and rider. This event is one of three preliminary competitions leading up to the finals in Virginia in October.

This event was webcast LIVE on HorseCity.com, but you can still watch! Click here to watch as Gilbert Gonzales, Brock Griffith and Phil Rogers compete in the Colt Starting Challenge