As a San Juan Capistrano native, John Berney's relationship with horses started as a young boy riding Western and bareback at the old Smith Stables in Capistrano Beach. In the early 1970's John began riding English at Coto de Caza and at the boarding stables run by his older sister in San Juan Capistrano.

In 1980 John entered New Mexico State University where he earned a degree in Agriculture Management and garnered top honors in the Leadership in Agricultural Occupations Program. John missed horses so much he began attending rodeos, fairs, and hanging around ranches just to have some contact with horses.

John returned to San Juan Capistrano in 1984 to begin a very short lived career with a landscape company. His love of horses would take precedence as John would stop by Jimmy Khon's Barn every day after work looking for any odd jobs that would keep him around horses. It was here that John started KKB Training Stables, a Hunter–Jumper business at The Capistrano Saddle Club, now known as The Oaks.

In 1985, John moved the business to Sycamore Trails Stables. In 2019, the John Berney Equestrian team relocated to the beautiful Rancho Sierra Vista Equestrian Center where it currently operates. John remains active in the equine community at the local, national and international level as the President of the San Juan Capistrano Equestrian Coalition and was named as one of Orange County's 'Most Influential People In 2017' by the OC Register. John and his program also received a Capistrano Dispatch People's Choice Horseshoe Award for 'Best Horse Trainer' in 2016. 

In 2020, John was appointed to the Board of Directors of the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce.

In 2022, John was voted winner of the HJ Weiland Sportsmanship Award.