Timentwa Brings Indian Relay Skills to Race Riding

Jockey Talliyah Timentwa is a force of nature with undeniable equestrian talent that belies her size and stature. She is described as fearless, capable, determined, focused, and goal-oriented. The daughter of Trisha and Ernest "Rocky" Timentwa, she learned to ride before she could walk. Her father was a former jockey who competed in Canada. Her mother recalls her first outing on a horse when she was 2 weeks old at the Okanogan racetrack, where they trained horses for Indian Relay races. Talliyah is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in eastern Washington state, a land of breathtaking beauty. Horses are culturally significant to the Colville people, reflecting a deep and spiritual bond. Her first memory was riding a family horse named "Hotshot" in a round pen at her grandmother's as she was getting ready for a junior rodeo. "All my family has been involved with horses. My mom really tried pushing rodeo for me for a long time. I loved rodeo. My mom barrel raced, rode pole bending, and did all the events," she said. "I was glad I was raised in that way." She was 12 years old when she began competing in Indian Relay, a thrilling event that requires riders to race bareback, jumping off and on moving horses with no protective equipment. Her mother preferred rodeo events, and it took several years to convince her to let her daughter go into Indian Relay. But Timentwa was blessed with extraordinary strength and talent and, in 2019, at 13 years old, she won the first Ladies National Championship at the Indian Relay Champion of Champions in Walla Walla, Wash. She won it again four years later in Wyoming. Her family instilled a strong work ethic in her. She was taught to get her horses fit, not just for relay racing, but by "swimming with them, taking them on trail rides, and getting them broke as much as you can before you take them to the track. My parents made sure if you take care of your horse, they'll take care of you. I spent a lot of time with my horses, learning pretty much every quirk. It really establishes confidence before you get to the relay." Her dad would say, "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard," and Timentwa took that to heart. She loved relay racing. "When I'm relay racing, I've never felt more capable. It's a really free feeling. Like, you can do anything. Like, you are bulletproof when you relay." But Timentwa has also embraced the challenge of what she refers to as "gate racing" Thoroughbred horses. It's a sport she has fallen in love with. Now she's building her career as an apprentice. Timentwa opened her apprentice book at Emerald Downs in June 2025. Her first win came Aug. 7, 2025, at the Tillamook County Fair in Oregon on the aptly named Steel Nerves. Her apprentice status is expected to end in September 2026. Several Emerald Downs trainers have played a role in her development and hold her talents in high regard. Dione Asmussen, a distant cousin of Steve Asmussen, told the Daily Racing Form in an interview, "She's a horseman first and foremost. She cares deeply about the horses and has a huge connection to them. She's fearless." Veteran trainer Candice Cryderman agreed, stating that she is "phenomenally talented." In addition, Timentwa has been studying several jockeys she admires at Emerald Downs, including multiple graded stakes winner Javier Matias, who has more than 9,500 starts; Frank T. Alvarado, a multiple graded stakes winner with more than 4,100 wins and more than 27,000 starts; and Silvio Amador, who has more than 5,000 starts and is a graded-stakes-placed jockey. Their depth of experience has been invaluable. Matias told her he liked that she wasn't scared. She likes to watch Alvarado ride because, "he just does it really effortlessly." And she deeply appreciates Amador's help. Darrell Haire, western regional manager for the Jockeys' Guild, explains how difficult it is to be an apprentice: "You learn how to exercise and work horses, leave the starting gate and develop a clock in your head, because that's so important," Haire said. "You keep honing your abilities and focusing. You watch experienced riders. Most importantly, you watch as a race develops. The more races you ride, the more experience you gain. "It's the challenge of being a professional athlete who is disciplined and focused. You have to be able to handle both the physical and mental ups and downs. It's a roller coaster. … If she stays focused and continues to develop her talents, she will do very well. She has a great future in front of her." Trainer Howard Gibson agreed: "I think she has a lot of ability. She started galloping not that long ago and has improved rapidly. She's gotten the opportunities because she's been working so hard. She gets along with horses great. She's starting to do really good and is starting to hit the board. She'll start catching fire in the next couple of weeks. It's just going to be a matter of time." On June 21, Timentwa had a special day. She won her first race at Emerald Downs on a 2-year-old filly named Made to Impact in a maiden special weight race. With Timentwa aboard, they dueled for the lead along the inside from the outset and prevailed in a prolonged drive against the established jockeys. Owner Eliana Thompson said, "I'm so grateful to watch Made to Impact win in her first start as a 2-year-old today! I'm so proud of Talliyah Timentwa! I love what she has put into riding and working Made to Impact." Timentwa was clearly happy with the day. "I got a first, a second, and a third. It felt pretty good. I have a lot of horses that I said were sitting on a win—good horses I know can win. The results always feel good, knowing that I was right. I work really hard. I get on nine horses a day, so to have results in the afternoon is a really good feeling." Timentwa says that "horse racing is what I live, sleep, breathe, and now it's a little more subconscious. I just can't picture doing any other type of work. It's the horses that have been a really big part of my life. And horse racing? I don't think I'm ever going to be able to leave it." This drive to succeed comes from home. "Both my parents engraved into my brain that hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. I love that. They've integrated it into every aspect of my life. That is something I am really grateful for. I love being labeled as a hard worker. Just showing up even when you're tired. Keep showing up. Keep doing the work and the results? They don't have any choice. That's the story of my life in many ways. Just keep at it." She is doing exactly what she was raised to do—one ride, one horse, one race at a time.