The Dakota Showdown is open to anyone who is experienced and confident working with horses!

The Dakota Showdown is open to anyone who is experienced and confident working with horses.
 
While we often have professional trainers participate, many of our competitors come from other backgrounds — riders, colt starters, clinicians, and serious horsemen and horsewomen who simply love helping a horse learn and grow.
 
We offer three divisions so people can participate at different levels:
 • Showcase Division – open to horse-savvy participants 16 and older• Foundation Division – 18+, working with minimally handled horses learning the basics• Rising Star Division – ages 12+, working with horses under 3 years old
 
What matters most to us is good horsemanship, patience, and a commitment to giving the horse a positive start.
 
If that sounds like you, we’d love to see your application.
 
Trainer applications are open now through March 15: https://dakotashowdown.com/trainers
Blog Post

Related Articles

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique.

It was a big week for Jabbers!

June 14, 2024
Jabberwocky and his trainer Beth are also making big progress now in the Foundation Division!

Team Cocoa- July 11, 2025 - Update!

July 27, 2025
From trainer Rachel Lund: Uninteresting photo of a very good boy: Here’s a little context. Unfortunately for Cocoa, his...

The Dakota Showdown is heading into a new chapter!

January 25, 2026
2026 marks our fifth year of the Dakota Showdown Horse Trainer Challenge — and with it comes a milestone we’ve been...
Blog Post CTA

H2 Heading Module

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique.