story by Julie Carter
July 2023 and the National High School Rodeo Finals in Gillette, WY escorted Ashlynn Jones out of one phase of her life into new goals and new challenges in a completely new zip code. The New Mexico barrel racer is headed to Panhandle State University in Goodwell, OK where she has been recruited to the rodeo team and will study Animal Science and ultimately pursue Veterinary Medicine.
Ashlynn, the daughter of Jaclyn and Flavio Martinez, San Antonio, NM and Nathan Jones, Los Lunas quietly emerged onto the high school rodeo scene. Her freshman year at the first high school rodeo, her barrel horse was hurt, requiring her to sit out the remainder of the fall rodeos. In the spring, Covid closed down the rodeo season. Her sophomore year she made it to all the rodeos putting her 20th in the year-end standings. Her junior year started a little bumpy, she only had 3 points going into the spring semester but with a two-day average win in Farmington and a good State Finals, she ended her year in 8th place.
Ashlynn said her mare she calls Peekaboo loves small patterns and indoor building rodeos are her favorite. “Farmington last year was a good comeback for her.” Ashlynn recalls. Building on that comeback momentum, Ashlyn and Peekaboo had a stellar senior year, going into the State Finals in second place and even with some downed barrels, still ended up 4th in the standings. That set her in line for her first and last at National Finals competition.
“Peekaboo has been one of the most honest horses I’ve ever ridden,” said Ashlynn. Describing her 10-year-old buckskin mare, she says, “She is an easy keeper and has the goofiest personality. She likes popsicles, ice cream and treats. She might be a little spoiled, and most definitely by me.”
Peekaboo was born on a ranch near Grants owned by her grandfather Raymond Greenwood. Her Aunt Stacy Greenwood also raises racing quarter horses at Lazy Cane Quarter Horses, giving Ashlynn an ongoing source for barrel horse prospects.
“I’ve been on a horse since I was big enough to sit up and soon after that when I could ride on my own, they put me on some really great horses that took very good care of me,” she recalls of her horsemanship journey. “We would go out to the ranch with my Poppa and he would stick us on horses out there. We would also ride in the arena.” Ashlynn started to compete in gymkhana events at 6 and when she was 10, she added breakaway roping. It’s a family lifestyle and Ashlynn’s younger sisters Kyleigh, Haidynn and Ryleigh can choose to follow in Ashlynn’s footsteps with a solid foundation already in place.
Ashlynn uses the immediate world around her home in San Antonio, NM as her training ground as she has no formal arena. Lots of miles up and down the irrigation ditch banks of the farming community along the Rio Grande and some groundwork in open land spaces is what Ashlynn’s believes gives her horse some solid confidence and trust in her rider. “It keeps her sensible and grounded.”
While the journey has been, as she puts it, “amazing” for Ashlynn, she is quick to share her excitement for her future both in and out of the arena. College rodeo will be a new stage for her and Peekaboo, but the world awaits her for new adventures, new friends and a bright new future.
Ashlynn thanks her “amazing parents” and expresses sincere great appreciation to “all that followed me around and spent time making memories.”
