It would be difficult to find someone that has more passion for barrel racing and barrel horses than Toni Horkley. Whether at her home in Idaho or wintering in Arizona, Toni has horses and barrels on her mind. Not only does she have that passion but she passes it on and encourages others in the game. “I try to help people and tell them, ‘Good job’. I know some are just getting started and some of them are older and need a boost. I tell them, ‘If I can do this, you can too.’ My daughter and I put on barrel racings every Monday night in the summer. We have a nice county arena that we use. We like to help out some the local girls by having a place for them to run.”
She has been in the association since she became eligible 10 years ago. The new enter-down rule allows Toni to run different horses in both the 50’s and 40’s age divisions. She likes the NSPRA because of the laid back atmosphere and slower pace of things. “There’s not so much pressure and everybody is friendly. It’s all easy going.”
To get horses trained and seasoned for high level competition takes a lot of time and a lot of experience in the arena. That’s why Toni also belongs to the IMPRA and WPRA, besides the NSPRA. “You can’t get horses seasoned unless you go to a lot rodeos and barrel racing events. I have a lot of futurity colts that I’m training and they need that kind of work.” She likes the Streakin Six and Dash Ta Fame bloodlines for barrel horses.
When Toni is getting prepared, she takes time to plan her run. “I watch the conditions in arena beforehand. You don’t always know what young horses will do so you want to be sure that you are mentally ready and the horse is mentally ready for the run. I try not to listen what everybody else is saying because that can mess with your mind.” Toni has five open horse and futurity colts to run so she tries to match the horse to the given arena conditions. “I am fortunate that I have that many horses to run.”
Toni is a third generation cowgirl and has been competing in rodeo since her days growing up in Buhl, Idaho. “I started in junior rodeo and then went on the high school rodeo. My mom and dad were involved in rodeo and my grandpa did a lot of horse trading so we always had a lot of horses around. He’d buy them, we’d ride them and then he’d sell them.”
She and her husband, Jim call home Rexburg, Idaho and they spend the winter months in Arizona where she can train and work horses outside. Toni has four step-children and one daughter, Brandy. “Jim is retired and my biggest supporter and sponsor. I take all my horses with me and we leave in October and don’t come back until April. Brandy takes care of my brood mares and takes care of our place while we’re in Arizona.”
She says that her daughter is her biggest influence. “She keeps me going and keeps me motivated. That helps me out a lot. She’s my good traveling partner and we go to a lot open barrel races and pro rodeos together. She teaches school in Idaho Falls and lives next door to us.”
Leisure time gets her away from the barrels for something different. “My one diversion (from barrel racing) is antiques. My husband and I love to go to antique shows and collect. We collect a lot of Conoco and Coca Cola signs.” Goals for the future are to keep producing futurity prospects and staying in the saddle. “You see people riding when they’re 80; that’s what I want to do.”
story by Laura Martin When Jim Persinger discovered the National Senior Pro Rodeo Association in 2012, feeling like he could still compete at the age […]
story by Lindsay Humphrey By definition, Laura Lambert was born into rodeo. Both her parents competed professionally; her dad, Dale Motley, primarily in calf roping […]
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February 12, 2021
40 BAREBACK RIDING
1 Jasen Olsen (50) 63
2 Cody Miller (40) 53
40 Barrel Racing
1 Kim Coleman (40) 288
2 Laura Lambert (40) 238
3 Nikkie Miller (40) 158
4 April Denny (40) 80
40 Bull Riding
1 Jackson Stoney (40) 140
2 Roque Velarde (40) 62
3 David Kingsbury (40) 52
40-59 Ribbon Roping (Roper)
1 Ricky Lambert (50) 197
2 Rob Black (60) 168
3 Dirt Terrell (50) 148
4 Mike Collins (60) 118
5 Brian Garr (40) 108
6 Jeff Frizzell (50) 69
7 Phil Treadway (50) 68
8 Bill Sharber (60) 29
9 David Hencratt (50) 20
40-59 Ribbon Roping (Runner)
1 Sherry Terrell (40) 207
2 Laura Lambert (40) 197
3 Nikkie Miller (40) 168
4 Wendy Collins (50) 118
5 Lynn Ray (50) 87
6 Renee Freeland (50) 59
7 Dirt Terrell (50) 59
8 Michelle Ranells (40) 29
40-59 Team Roping (Header)
1 Jason Thorstenson (40) 336.5
2 Bill Sharber (60) 159
3 Jerod Teller (50) 155.5
4 Marty Howard (50) 107.5
5 Mike Freeland (60) 75
6 Ricky Lambert (50) 51.5
40-59 Team Roping (Heeler)
1 Shotgun Passig (50) 235.5
2 Cole Ivy (50) 214.5
3 Ryan Pratt (40) 160.5
4 Butch Terrell (60) 54.5
40-59 Tiedown
1 Brian Garr (40) 221
2 Jeff Frizzell (50) 179
3 Homer Sanders (40) 103
4 Ricky Lambert (50) 76
5 Todd Danley (50) 73
6 Trent Tidwell (40) 53
7 Dirt Terrell (50) 47
8 Phil Treadway (50) 37
50 Bareback Riding
1 Dustin Brown (50) 62
50 Barrel Racing
1 Renee Freeland (50) 248
2 Brenda Howard (50) 208
3 Wendy Collins (50) 178
4 Jan Kortsen (50) 140
5 Lynn Ray (50) 88
6 Danaye Eaton (50) 79
7 Debb Davis (50) 59
8 Becky Teller (50) 49
9 Cecilia Bolton (50) 19
50 Bull Riding
1 Shane Elliott (50) 65
60 Barrel Racing
1 Jeanne Davis (60) 260
2 Vicky Brookman (60) 210
3 Tammy Smith (60) 150
4 Becky Rus (60) 150
5 Marge Freeland (60) 130
60 Bull Riding
1 Timothy Mcniel (60) 116
2 Lyle Hogue (60) 63
60 Ribbon Roping (Roper)
1 Dale Rising (60) 124
2 Jack Garr (60) 52
60 Ribbon Roping (Runner)
1 Tammy Smith (60) 124
2 Carol Garr (60) 52
60 Team Roping (Header)
1 Fred Ennist (60) 246
2 Dale Whitlow (60) 205.5
3 Ron Phelan (60) 197.5
4 Rob Black (60) 147.5
5 Bill Sharber (60) 147.5
6 Jesse Marshall (60) 108
7 Mike Boyle (60) 78
8 Mike Freeland (60) 48
9 Dan Johnson (60) 40
10 John Clymo (60) 38
60 Team Roping (Heeler)
1 Walter Bob Baxter (60) 323.5
2 Jerry Mccommas (60) 158
3 Mike Clancy (60) 155.5
4 Willy Kelton (60) 98
5 Ty Morrill (60) 87.5
6 Roger Rasner (60) 80
7 Fred Davis (60) 69.5
8 Curt Johnston (60) 49.5
60 Tiedown
1 Mike Collins (60) 200
2 Bill Sharber (60) 180
3 Rob Black (60) 150
4 Jack Garr (60) 90
5 Jerry Martin (60) 60
6 John Clymo (60) 60
7 Bruce Contway (60) 50
8 Ross Contway (50) 40
68 Tiedown
1 Fw Lynch (60) 261
2 Dan Johnson (60) 145
3 Curt Johnston (60) 111
4 Ray Yamauchi (60) 101
5 Ray Jim (60) 36
6 Dale Rising (60) 26
Ladies Breakaway
1 Danaye Eaton (50) 133
2 Cindy Gruwell (50) 113
3 Brenda Howard (50) 91
4 Teri James (50) 71
5 Tammy Smith (60) 61
6 Becky Teller (50) 57
7 Lynn Ray (50) 41
8 Wendy Collins (50) 31
9 Renee Freeland (50) 22
Men’s Breakaway
1 Curt Johnston (60) 256
2 John Clymo (60) 176
3 Fw Lynch (60) 167
4 Jerry Martin (60) 136
5 Ray Yamauchi (60) 127
6 Bob Martin (60) 108
7 Stacey Evans (60) 48
8 Dale Rising (60) 19
