Dakota Kirchenschlager rides French On Time, a six-year-old mare by One Time Pepto with plenty of natural intensity and all the ability to match it. The key to getting the most out of a horse like this, Dakota explains, is keeping her relaxed and confident so that talent has somewhere productive ...

Dakota Kirchenschlager steps on a kind, athletic five-year-old mare by Hickory Holly Time, owned by Dean Tuftin, to work through one of the most overlooked fundamentals in team roping: delivery speed. Slowing down your delivery gives your horse more time to read the play, stay balanced, and stop ...

Dakota Kirchenschlager saddles up Shinedown, a five-year-old mare by Metallic Cat who has already seen the show pen and is making a strong case as a standout prospect. Big, physical, and fast with an exceptional stop, Shinedown has the athleticism and eye appeal Dakota looks for in a horse built ...

Dakota Kirchenschlager gets on a four-year-old Hickory Holly Time gelding owned by Turner Performance Horses, a horse he has high expectations for heading into the futurities. This colt has a lot of go and stays up, which Dakota likes, but that energy has to be channeled correctly from the start....

Dakota Kirchenschlager steps on a four-year-old mare by Gunnatrashya, owned by Dean Tuftin, a horse he has high hopes for. What stands out immediately is how light this horse is in the face. Dakota barely has to pick up the reins before he gets a response, and that kind of softness is exactly wha...

Dakota Kirchenschlager steps into the practice pen on Smokin Stilettos, a six-year-old mare owned by Jordan Driver Land and Cattle Co. Dakota has had her in his program since she was four, and keeping her physically fit, sound, and mentally fresh is a priority he takes seriously.

After a good ru...

Dakota Kirchenschlager has been with Fastback Ropes since he was 19 years old, and at 35, that loyalty runs both ways. Through injuries and the inevitable ups and downs of a competitive career, Fastback never walked away, and that means something to Dakota. For him, loyalty isn't just a nice qual...

Dakota Kirchenschlager's program is about finding what each horse needs to develop confidence in their performance. In this video, Kirchenschlager makes the kinds of runs that put the pieces together for a young heel horse in training.

The weekend ahead of a futurity competition, Dakota Kirchenschlager puts some finishing touches on his 5-year-old mount. In their first run out the box, Kirchenschlager discovers a green horse with the right ideas but in need of management.

What does the day before a rope horse futurity look like for Dakota Kirchenschlager on some of his best young prospects? This video shows how Kirchenschlager works through his program on young rope horses to prepare to compete at an elite level. 

As Dakota Kirchenschlager rides 4-Year-Old Inferno 66 Futurity Colt, he addresses how to prepare a stronger horse's mind right.