Know the Pro: Tyler Merrill

KNOW THE PRO

Tyler Merrill took a meandering path to becoming a reined cow horse trainer, but he finally found where he belongs.

Interview by Abigail Boatwright

Some folks transition directly from youth competitor to cow horse trainer, no stops along the way. But not Tyler Merrill. The Purcell, Oklahoma, native is a dyed-in-thewool horseman with a passion for learning from each horse he rides. His journey to cow horse took a “scenic route,” but the husband and father of two has brought a wealth of experience to his current barn of cow horse clients.

The son of former American Quarter Horse Association President Frank Merrill, who bred racehorses and performances horses for more than 40 years, Merrill was destined for a life with horses. His sister, McKenzie, and mom, Robin, showed in all-around events, reining, cow horse and cutting. And another sister, Megan, is a non pro cutter married to cutting horse trainer Matt Miller.

“The road [to horses] was paved before I was even thought of,” Merrill said.

As a youth, Merrill started out roping and cutting. His first foray into cow horses was with his sister Megan’s youth cow horse, Reys The Band. He showed the gelding twice at the AQHA Youth World Show in 1999 and 2000. He also won an AQHYA World Championship in tie-down roping in 2012.

After graduating from military school, Merrill continued to ride any horse he could. He worked for Carol Rose in 2006 and says that experience really hooked him on cow horse.

“I got to ride some of the greatest horses in the industry, working for her for two years,” he said. “That was really my start.”

In 2008, Merrill made his home in Weatherford, Texas, and the next year he married his wife, Katy. He worked for his brother-in-law, Matt Miller, in Poolville, Texas, breaking 2 year-olds and showing in cutting for about five years before starting his own training business.

When his son Mason was born in 2016, Merrill went to work for Clay Johnson, training cutting and roping horses. Merrill stayed for a year, but with a young son at home, he wanted to spend more time with his family, so he started working for a ranch taking care of 10,000 yearlings and bringing Mason with him while he worked. Yet, the show pen called his name.

COURTESY OF THE MERRILL FAMILY

Tyler Merrill is a husband, father and horseman.

Merrill’s sister McKenzie had a 3-year-old named Suen To Love in cow horse training with Shadd Parkinson in Arizona, and she connected the two trainers. In 2019, Merrill traveled to Arizona to help Parkinson and to show the horse in a pre-futurity. Parkinson then asked him to come work for him at major events, helping non pro clients and watching cows in the herd work.

“I said, ‘Yeah, I’d love to, I’d love to get back into it,’ ” Merrill said. “I showed my sister’s horse at the [NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity®], and last minute, Shadd called me and asked if I wanted another one to show. I said, ‘I’d love to. I’ll show anything.’ ”

Merrill teamed up with Andi Paul’s Tweenkle Lights, and that year at the Futurity, Tyler made the Finals in the Limited, Intermediate and Open divisions. That accomplishment pushed him back into cow horse training.

“I love it! I wish it hadn’t taken me so long, but I had to take a few different routes,” Merrill said. “That was my kick back into this deal. It was something everybody dreams of. I hope to continue to have success, and do it again, I love getting to ride all these great horses people trust me with.”

Now raising two sons with Katy, Merrill says watching a horse develop is a little like parenting, and it’s the most rewarding part of training.

“It’s so gratifying to know that you had a role in an animal’s life to help it do something that it was born to do,” Merrill said. “It’s a feeling I don’t think you can get anywhere else, when you start a horse, and then they go on to do something, or show you something one day. It’s an unbelievable feeling to be able to teach a horse do these three different events.”

Q A

with NRCHA Pro Tyler Merrill

COURTESY OF THE MERRILL FAMILY

Reined Cow Horse News: What draws you to the reined cow horse?

Tyler Merrill: The challenges, especially with having a horse do three different events. And the trainers and spectators—everybody seems like they’re always rooting for you and will help you if you ever need anything.

RCHN: What’s your go-to piece of equipment?

TM: A Kerry Kelly correction [bit]. It’s soft where you can put it on a young horse, but you can put it on an older horse and break them loose.

RCHN: Who do you consider your biggest mentors, and what did you learn from them?

TM: When I was really young, I rode with a guy named Clark Jerry, [who] worked for my dad and broke 2-yearolds, and he helped sharpen my skills as a roper. When I was a little bit older. I went to [roper] Robbie Schroeder’s every summer and would stay with him. He was kind of like a father figure to me. Gary Wells, another roper, all of them taught me how to be a horseman, and ride anything you can get on. Don’t just try to make the horses fit you. Robbie and Gary were both all-around guys that could do anything, from cow horse to pleasure to western riding, roping, you name it.

Don Murphy, Todd Crawford, too— those are the men in the older generation when I was coming up who always took me under their wing and gave me advice—or were hard on me, to make me learn more. The big deal for me was, don’t try to make a horse fit you. You try to fit the horse. Be a horseman, be there for the horse. Don’t try to be a trainer as much as a horseman.