It’s likely you know motivational speaker and Western sports influencer Amberley Snyder and follow her achievements in and out of the arena, as the inspiring champion barrel racer who continues to win and defy odds after a tragic car accident left her paralyzed from the waist down. But you may not know Autumn Snyder, her equally talented and competitive sister who recently finished her college rodeo career.
We asked Autumn what drew her into barrel racing — she had pressure from their other siblings to follow different professional sports paths — and what she is most proud of in terms of her barrel racing career thus far.
Barrel Horse News: You come from a family of athletes. How did you choose barrel racing?
Autumn Snyder: “My dad played for five different Major League Baseball teams, my two brothers played pro ball and one of my sisters was a gymnast. My sister Amberley was the one who chose rodeo. I was the youngest, so my mom and sister would take me along to rodeos.
“Everyone in my family tried to convince me to do their sports — softball, gymnastics, dance — but I just never loved anything the way I loved being around horses. I remember being 5 years old at one of Amberley’s rodeos, turning to my mom, and saying, ‘This is what I want to do.’
“Amberley was ecstatic. She knew she was always going to do rodeo and joked my other siblings all just tried to trick me into doing their sports.”
BHN: How has your family supported your rodeo career?
Snyder: “My parents understood what it takes to compete at the top level. They always told us: if you choose a sport, choose to be good at it. Having two parents who were very competitive in sports and knew what it took to get to the top level was helpful in how to mentally handle the good and the disappointments that you go through in sports.
“I was also very blessed that Amberley had nice horses that she would pass on to me. From an early age, I was lucky I didn’t have to go through trying to train my own horses and learn the process together. I got to be on nice horses and learn the love for winning and have gone from there.
“While I was lucky to learn on nice horses when I was really young, I then had to make my own nice horses as a pre-teen to afford nicer ones. And while I enjoy the wins, I really love the training process.”
BHN: Which horse had the biggest influence on you early on?
Snyder: “‘Jazzy’ (YOUGOTTALOVEITSVERDICT), one of Amberley’s horses. She taught me not just the thrill of winning but the love of the sport and the partnership with a horse. Jazzy won a lot of saddles and buckles for me. When we lost her to colic, I cried for months and since then have said I will name a future child after her, because she meant that much to me.”
BHN: What are some of your proudest accomplishments so far?
Snyder: “Winning the Utah High School Rodeo Association pole bending in 2018 was huge — you have to run consistent 19-second pole runs to stay at the top. I also made the College National Finals Rodeo.
“But honestly, my biggest accomplishments are the horses I’ve trained and sold that went on to win with other riders. I started flipping horses at 9. I found a pony online for $900, paid for her myself, trained and sold her for $5,000. That was the start of building my way up to nice horses and owning ‘Duke’ (Frenchmen Returns), my current horse. Creating good horses has been just as rewarding as winning buckles.”
BHN: Tell us about Duke — what drew you to him?
Snyder: “I had just sold that college rodeo horse, and Amberley happened to be looking for another one as well. I always go with her, because I have a sixth sense of if a horse is going to handle her legs swinging. We went out to Joy Wargo’s to try Tink Tink for my sister, and Joy had Duke, who she was starting on the pattern for David Harmon. Duke wasn’t really for sale because he has a quirky personality, but she had me try him anyway.
“I wasn’t in love with him the first time I tried him until I cruised him through a pattern, and I knew then he was the kind of horse I wanted for pro rodeos. He’s had some soundness challenges, but when he’s healthy, he absolutely loves his job. Winning the 2025 NBHA Vegas Super Show on him was super rewarding.”
BHN: What do you enjoy about NBHA events?
Snyder: “The atmosphere. The NBHA crew is so supportive of every rider, no matter what division you run in. They also make the events fun with great videos. I definitely plan to keep entering more NBHA barrel races.”
BHN: Do you take in client horses?
Snyder: “Yes, usually three or four at a time. A lot are tune-ups for high school kids, or horses with issues that need confidence rebuilt. I’ve also started a few from the ground up. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a horse I’ve trained go on to win for someone else — like a pole horse I just sent back to a girl, and she qualified for states after years of trying.”
BHN: Tell us a little about your college rodeo experience.
Snyder: “While I was in college I didn’t have as much time to rodeo and barrel race with my sister. Since graduating from Utah State with a double major in kinesiology/exercise science and equine science [in spring 2025], I’m back traveling with Amberley.
“At first, I thought I’d go into a career working with human athletes like several of my other siblings, but I realized I’d rather focus on horse athletes. It’s amazing how much overlaps — nutrition, exercise programs and recovery all matter just as much for horses as they do for humans.”
BHN: What do you want readers to take away about your career?
Snyder: “Wins are exciting, but for me the bigger accomplishment has been building my own path training horses, creating opportunities, and enjoying the process. Even though I started on a few of Amberley’s horses, after that I wasn’t just handed finished horses. I had to make them. I think that’s what makes the journey worthwhile.”
