Faces of the Reined Cow Horse: Jamie Feuquay
By: Hannah Claxton
Four years ago, a traumatic accident forced National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) Professional Jamie Feuquay to reevaluate life as he knew it. A break in his neck had him on the sidelines for a little over eight months, which gave him plenty of time to think.
“Things were kind of sketchy in regards to if I would ever ride again,” Feuquay explained. “I made a decision during that time that if I wanted to get to where I wanted to be, I wasn’t going to do it in my comfort zone. We got some things in order, and with some encouraging words from friends, we put everything up for sale.”
That triggered his and his family’s move from Danville, Indiana, to Dublin, Texas, which was drastic, but Feuquay knew that big goals often require big actions. Leaving behind their established training program, family and everything they’d ever known was only worth it for one thing—the chance to accomplish more.
“Personal growth and the community made it worth it to leave everything,” Feuquay said. “I felt I was stale in Indiana. Coming down here [to Texas] for a month at a time meant there were still 11 months out of the year that I wasn’t having personal growth while working my horses.”
As one of just a few cow horse trainers located in Indiana, Feuquay had limited opportunities to not only compete, but to receive coaching, guidance and feedback from other open-caliber riders. With two of NRCHA’s premier events in North Texas, the move to Dublin put Feuquay within a few hours’ drive of dozens of the highest-performing riders in the industry.
“Here in Texas, everybody is willing to help you,” Feuquay said. “Even if you’re competing against them, they’re still willing to help you because they want to beat you when you’re at your best.”
Location and horsemanship aren’t the only aspects of Feuquay’s life that have leveled up—his mental game has also been totally transformed.
“Horses are going to have tough days, and when you’ve had a few tough days in a row, you start doubting your program,” Feuquay admitted. “When you have a community around you that can say, ‘hey, you’re doing a good job, keep doing what you’re doing,’ it feels like you’ve got people standing behind you.”
Just a few weeks before heading to the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity®, Feuquay got to see just how powerful of an effect his community could have on his mental game. On a particularly tough day, Feuquay was riding with NRCHA Professional Emily Patterson, who offered to take Feuquay’s horse for a spin.
“She took him down the fence and then got off and told me she didn’t do anything in particular—she just rode—and I needed to stop worrying and just go show,” Feuquay said. “That gives you a little more confidence that you’ve done the work, things are right and you should just go show what you have.”
The support from Feuquay’s community didn’t stop when the show preparations ended. When he entered the pen for the reined work, there was a section of the John Justin full of his supporters.
“For my reining run, we had friends that drove an hour-and-a-half to two hours just to watch me make my run,” Feuquay shared. “They could’ve watched from home, but they were here to cheer me on.”
Feuquay’s words of wisdom for anyone working up the courage to take the plunge and reinvent their life are simple—you’ll find out who your friends are.
“You’ll find out who your true friends are when you leave, and you’ll make true friends when you get where you’re going,” Feuquay said. “You just have to be brave enough to take the first step.”
