Some women are born into the horse industry.
Some marry into it.
Some build their place in it over a lifetime.
And some… do all three.

This week on The Trainer’s Wife, I sat down in the Fort Worth Stockyards with Sandy Jirkovsky — Director of Judges & Professional Horsemen for the American Paint Horse Association, industry judge, horse trainer, mother, grandmother… and a woman whose story spans generations of this Western equine life.

Sandy is the daughter of a horse trainer.
She watched her mother quietly hold together the business behind the scenes.
She became a trainer herself.
A trainer’s wife.
A single mother.
And a woman forced to rebuild more than once.

In this episode, Sandy shares — with remarkable honesty — the chapters of her life that shaped her. She speaks about leaving marriages that weren’t meant to last, the courage it took to start over, and how those experiences formed not only who she became… but the perspective she carries today.

Her son, Chris Dawson, grew up to become one of the most accomplished professionals in the Reined Cow Horse industry. Alongside his wife Sarah, they have amassed over $5.5 million in earnings, becoming one of the most respected partnerships in the sport. And Sandy said something that stayed with me:

She believes the things she got wrong… mattered.
Because they shaped his life.
And opened doors for his future.

But Sandy’s story didn’t end there.

Thirty years ago, she married Jim Jirkovsky — a respected horseman, trainer, and partner. Together, they built a life grounded not in survival, but in choice. Sandy shares the quiet truth that lasting love didn’t come from finding perfection — it came from learning to grow, to accept, and to find happiness within herself.

She also reinvented herself professionally — stepping into leadership, education, and helping shape the future of judging and professional standards in our industry.

Sandy has judged around the world.
She has mentored countless horsemen and horsewomen.
She has influenced generations — not just through horses, but through example.

And yet, even now, she speaks about balance.
About being present.
About being a wife.
About being a grandmother.
About not missing the moments that matter most.

And maybe the most powerful lesson she shared was simple:

“Follow your passion. And then some.”

If you’ve ever questioned your path…
If you’ve ever had to start over…
If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s too late to become something new…

This episode is for you.

SHOW NOTES:

American Paint Horse Association - Contact Sandy

The Jennifer Journals