Clay grew up on a horse and cattle ranch in southeast Oklahoma where his family raised and bred halter and performance horses while also running a cow/calf operation. As an undergraduate, he was a competitive member of the horse judging teams at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and OSU. Among his honors include being the 1995 High Individual at the AQHA World Championship Collegiate Judging Contest, and being a member of the 1995 and 1996 AQHA World Champion teams. After completing his intercollegiate eligibility, he coached the horse judging team at NEO A&M from 2000-2003. While coaching at both NEO A&M College and Texas A&M, Clay's teams have wins including:

- 2000 & 2006 AQHA Reserve World Champions
- 2000 & 2005 AQHA Reserve Congress Champions
- 2002 AQHA Congress Champions
- 2002 & 2005 AQHA World Champions
- 2007 NRBC Champion, and
- 2007 NRHA Futurity Reserve Champions.
- Additionally, individual members of these teams have been high individuals at all contests.

Clay also judges professionally holding breed cards with the AQHA, APHA, PHBA, NRHA and NSBA. He has had the pleasure of judging throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. In 2006, Clay served as a judge for the APHA World Show.