Austyn Tobey is a two-time Great Lakes Circuit Champion, currently sitting inside the top 15 in the 2026 WPRA standings and known for having a trailer full of strong barrel horses wherever she goes.
She’s always had a love for speed and a good horse, and has built her program one horse at a time, all while having a backup plan with a degree in chemistry.
Remember Mandan 2025? The mud, the controversy, the ground that had everyone talking… and Tobey drawing first and still going for it. She walks through that decision in this episode and why it turned into one of the biggest runs of her career.
- Austyn Tobey Wins Mandan: North Dakota Rough Rider Cup Barrel Racing Results
- Back-to-Back: Austyn Tobey Dominates 2025 Great Lakes Circuit Finals on Design In Red
Tobey’s program didn’t start with finished horses. It was built by making them, selling them and stepping up each time.
“We didn’t really have the financial means to just go buy the next good one… we got the horses the best we could, sold them and bought the next one to make the best we could.”
That shows up in her trailer now. Horses like Design in Red (“Frosty”), Frisky to Fame, and Bam Bam all have different strengths, and she’s had to learn how to manage each one instead of relying on just one standout.
A lot of that comes from the kind of horses she learned on early. Not push-style, not forgiving — just fast.
“I never wanted to slow down. Everything was fast. They would never go fast enough for me… it was sometimes reeling in the speed.”
That foundation carries into how she rides now, especially when things aren’t ideal.
One of the horses that got her started in ProRodeo wasn’t a futurity prospect or something with a plan behind it. It was a 12-year-old cutting mare bought out of a pasture that turned into a go-to rodeo horse.
“There was no teaching. It was straight to winning… you can really find them anywhere.”
That’s a theme through her program. Not everything shows up finished, but it can still turn into something if it fits. She’s also worked with top hands like multi-time NFR qualifier Jane Melby from a young age, soaking up knowledge from all angles of the barrel racing game.
Now with multiple horses that can win, the challenge isn’t finding one — it’s deciding how to use them.
“I try to get a groove going on one and stay on them for a little while… switching every rodeo gets really hard.”
Some weeks that means sticking with one. Other weeks it means matching the horse to the setup, the ground or even just how they’re feeling that day.
Mandan forced that decision. The ground had taken rain, it was deep, and by the time barrel racing started, it was clear it wasn’t going to be a normal rodeo. She was first out, and originally planned to run a different horse.
Instead, she switched to Bam Bam.
“I got on Bam Bam knowing she was going to take care of me… it wasn’t that I thought she was going to win, I knew she would take care of me.”
Bam Bam is a horse that handles variation. Not picky, not bothered by footing, and one that tends to stay underneath her instead of getting scattered. That mattered more than anything in that moment.
The decision didn’t happen in the alley. It happened while watching everything before her run — the roping, how horses were getting around, and what the ground was actually doing.
“If a head horse has a hard time making the corner, I’m probably going to reconsider… I stood up there and watched the whole rodeo.”
That kind of read comes from experience. She grew up running in similar ground, so it wasn’t unfamiliar, just something to evaluate.
She gets into all of it in this episode — how she’s built her program, how she manages a full trailer, and how she makes decisions in situations that don’t have a clear answer.
Presented by Martin Saddlery
This episode is brought to you by Martin Saddlery. Designed with performance and rider position in mind, Martin Saddles continue to be trusted by competitors at every level of barrel racing. Learn more at martinsaddlery.com.