Horsemanship takes a lifetime to develop, but Tuli Dowers is proving that age doesn’t determine a person’s level of success or influence.
For as long as horses have been domesticated, the people who drew closest to them found a way to let the horse be a horse first and their mount second. Tuli Dowers has always done things a little differently than most, and, until the last few years, nobody had the opportunity to see what that looked like on the back of a horse.
“Being Nick Dowers’ daughter certainly sets expectations high, but Tuli has earned every bit of the accolades she’s receiving,” says Amanda Kimes, who’s watched the young horsewoman grow up. “Tuli stands out not just for her success in the show pen, but for her work ethic, how she treats others and how deeply she respects the horses.”
At only 17 years old, Tuli is inadvertently teaching those around her. Many of those watchful eyes are two, three or four times Tuli’s age, and even her own father, a renowned horseman in his own right, has become her student.
Ride More
“I always rode for fun when I was little, but I started really learning the horsemanship side of it when I was around 11, and ever since, I’ve been trying to ride more and more,” Tuli says. “When my brother started showing, I knew I wanted to show also. Our dad wanted to make sure we knew what we were doing before we got in the show pen, so it took a while before we started showing.”
He’s just a regular dad to Tuli and her siblings — Crue, 15, and Jovi, 13 — but of the world champion, million-dollar, household-name variety.
“We’re all really close because we help run the ranch together,” Tuli says. “I feed cows every morning, and my siblings feed horses. And then, in the summer, we all have our jobs, like cutting, raking and baling the hay that my grandpa farms.”
Before COVID-19 hit, Tuli and her siblings went to public school, but they’ve been homeschooling with their mom, Jackie, ever since. That makes it a whole lot easier to ride more.
“One thing that makes Tuli special is that, when she locks into something, she has the willpower and determination to do it,” Nick says. “If she wants to do something, she’s going to get it done.”
And get things done, she has. Tuli’s left an impression on the cow horse world, first as a youth competitor and, most recently, in the non-pro arena.
“I stole my dad’s derby horse, Oasis Divide [Time For The Diamond x Stylin Tonette], and he’s been a lot of fun,” Tuli says about winning the Non Pro Boxing Derby at the 2025 Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity. “I ride my dad’s horses all the time, so I know how they feel and how they work.”
That came in handy when, during the 2025 National Reined Cow Horse Association Futurity, Nick lost a tricky cow during the herd work.
“I did a catch ride on my dad’s 3-year-old, Tha Rizzler [Metallic Rebel x Starlight Playmate], and it went really well,” Tuli says with genuine humility.
The pair left Texas as the 2025 NRCHA Non Pro Boxing Futurity Champions after getting everyone on their feet and then leaving them all speechless.
If Tuli thought anything of the pressure during the finals, she didn’t show it. And her scores reflected that.
She’s been shaped by the horses who taught her to ride, and perhaps she’s started cracking the mold for the industry.
Ride Less
“When Tuli works with a horse, she has to get that horse on her team and to believe in what she’s offering,” Nick says. “I can just pull harder and, in a way, force a horse to feel or look how I want them to, and she can’t do that. She has to do things the right way.”
It’s rare that Nick instructs his daughter to add more leg; she’s already got that part down. These days, Nick spends much more time observing than instructing his daughter when they ride at home in Dyer, Nevada, at Triple D Ranches.
“I know that I’m learning from one of the best, and I know I can learn a lot, and I already have from my dad,” Tuli says. “When I started riding his horse — High Stressin Cat — that’s when I really learned how to ride and show. I owe everything to my dad and that horse.”
The confidence Tuli gained from High Stressin Cat (WR This Cats Smart x Playguns Melody) must’ve stuck to her saddle because she’s been cleaning up at every show she enters on a myriad of horses. This includes her own horse, Hay Stacker (Time For The Diamond x Smooth Autumn Mate).
“My dad started him, but I’ve been the only one who’s ever shown him, and that’s been a real ‘I can do this’ moment for me,” Tuli says. “The Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity was a big show for me because I won on three different horses: Hay Stacker, High Stressin Cat and Oasis Divide. It’s one thing to win on one horse all the time, but to do it on other horses all in different circumstances, that’s a big deal to me.”
It was a masterclass on horsemanship for anyone lucky enough to watch Tuli. The fact that she’s winning classes means nothing compared to the honest, imperceivable communication between horse and rider that’s on display.
“I think we’re just starting to see the tip of the iceberg with Tuli; she’s going to take horsemanship to a level that we’ve never seen before,” Nick says proudly. “Other people don’t have to find new solutions, new ways to do the same things, but she does, and it’s great. It’s unbelievable what she can do with a horse.”
Tha Rizzler is the perfect example of the natural talent Tuli has for bringing out the best in a horse through a unique, possibly unintentional, partnership.
“As we went through the show [NRCHA Futurity], I noticed that ‘Rizz’ started to change when Tuli was riding him,” Nick says. “I could see him get more relaxed, his head went lower and his demeanor was better. A few days with Tuli, and his comfort level and body shape improved with her over me.”
A few years ago, Nick began thinking about his riding from Tuli’s perspective. This was about the time she decided to start riding more seriously.
“I needed to figure out how I could do all these things that I was doing previously, but without my hands or with my hand straight up,” Nick says.
What felt like a limitation became a springboard for Nick, and he’s beginning to see it do the same for Tuli.
“I get to see Tuli do things with horses all the time that just amaze me and tell me that I’m doing too much with a horse,” Nick says. “I think the biggest thing that inspires everyone watching her is that we’re all doing too much, and that’s powerful. She’s doing half as much as anyone else can and getting the same, and even better, results. I can’t wait to see where she takes horsemanship next.”
Now a high school senior, Tuli graduates in May, and all she knows is that she wants to do something, anything, with horses long term.
“I think I have a gift for riding horses, and I want to share God’s voice through that,” Tuli adds. “I feel like it’s something I need to do.”
Tuli’s Top Accolades
Tha Rizzler
- 2025 NRCHA Non Pro Boxing Futurity Champion
- 2025 NRCHA Level 1 Non Pro Boxing Futurity Champion
Hay Stacker
- 2025 Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity Non Pro Boxing Champion
- 2025 Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity Intermediate Non Pro Boxing Champion
- 2025 Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity Limited Non Pro Boxing Champion
Oasis Divide
- 2025 Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity Non Pro Boxing Derby Champion
High Stressin Cat
- 2025 National Stock Horse Association Intermediate Non Pro Boxing Champion & Limited Non Pro Boxing Champion
- 2025 NRCHA Kimes Ranch Derby Limited Non Pro Boxing and Intermediate Non Pro Boxing Champion
- 2025 NRCHA Stallion Stakes Youth Boxing Champion
- 2024 Reno Snaffle Bit Futurity Youth Boxing Champion
This article was originally published in the April 2026 issue of Western Horseman brought to you by Martin Saddlery.
This article made me cry! After attending some of Nick’s clinics and meeting his family, I was so touched by their kindness and unity. I was also amazed by Tuli and how they empowered her to believe in herself. What an incredible story and it’s his beginning!
Beautiful soul!