Team JM Reining Horses

Josh Murphy - Head Trainer
Josh Murphy learned about horses at an early age, trail riding and team penning with his family. While he was in high school, he decided to broaden his horizons when he started breaking colts for his neighbors. Following graduation, he attended Black Hawk College in Illinois, but he continued to follow his passion for horses as he studied equestrian science.

It was at Black Hawk that Murphy got involved in reining, taking an internship with the late Steve DeFrang. Murphy knew he liked horses and wanted to do something he enjoyed for a living, so becoming a trainer seemed like a perfect fit. 

What Murphy has come to enjoy the most about training reining horses is getting to show. Watching his dedication and a young horses's hard work come to fruition is one of the most satisfying parts of the job for him. 

"Every horse is different, so I just try to figure out how to get the most out of each horse with their own style," Murphy said. With more than $275,000 in open money won since 2015, Murphy has many impressive runs to draw on when he reflects on his career so far. Among them are a first- and second-place finish in the 2016 NRHA Futurity Level 1 Open riding Got That Iowa Shine and CBK Hang A Wright, respectively. ​He was also a L4 Open Classic Finalist at the 2018 National Reining Breeders Classic in Katy, Texas. 
Daniel Lopez - Trainer's Assistant 
California native Daniel Lopez joined our team in August of 2020. He specializes in starting young horses and began showing at NRHA events in late 2021. He is currently Rookie Professional/Limited Open eligible, along with L1-4 in Open Aged events. Daniel's outgoing personality and positive, can-do attitude have made him a great addition to our program.
IJ Messer - Trainer’s Assistant 
IJ joined our team in September of 2022. He's no stranger to reining, as his dad is a trainer in TN. He enjoys starting colts and keeps things running smoothly at home while we're away at shows.

Hailey Larsen - Groom​

Hailey joined Team JM in February of 2023. She grew up riding and attended Feather River College in her home state of California. She enjoys riding horses of all ages and does an excellent job managing the barn and caring for all our equine partners.
Farriers: Seth Jordan (Show Horses) and Zach Dinnen (Young Horses)
Picture
Traci Davenport Photo
"Every horse is different, so I just try to figure out how to get the most out of each horse with their own style."