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““It seems like it’s a lot harder these days to come up with that really big-time horse, just because there are so many good-bred colts and good individuals out there.” – Mike Joiner
she needed to support Mike’s career instead. together my whole adult life, but someone could A lot of owners like that but a few don’t; they want “The racehorse industry guides you in particular take an entire lifetime to learn what he knows to be told that their horse is a runner before it’s
directions, and our sons were only 13 months and still probably not absorb it all.” proved itself. That’s not Mike’s style. He lets the apart in age,” she says. So, she found her niche as “I trained on a professional level myself for horse do the talking and he’s a pretty good judge of operations manager of their family business. a long time [so I know that] if you’re going to talent early-on in their careers.”
“I work wherever I’m needed,” she says. “I compete and win these big races, you have to pay
JOINER-TRAINED ALL-STARS
Mike’s first “big-time” horse following his shoeing hiatus in the ’90s was Kendall Jackson, who kick-started Mike’s sizable resume of successful trainees.
Kendall Jackson won the West Texas Derby-G3 and ran second in the Ruidoso Derby-G2 in 2001. He then won the Sunland Express Handicap-G3 and ran second in the West Texas Maturity-G3 in 2002 and came back to win the New Mexico Championship Challenge in 2002 and 2003 as well. The 1998 Dash Ta Fame gelding, out of Lanes Leinster daughter Champagne Lane, tallied $377,549 under Mike’s tutelage, accumulating a 40- 14-4-9 career record. “Our business grew like wildfire from there,” Linda says.
fill in, make phone calls, get things done, show up to the races and try to have a great time.”
“My mom is kind of the glue that binds things together,” says the couple’s oldest
son, Cody. “She’s probably one of the most supportive people I’ve ever met in my life, for me and for Justin and for my dad. She’s really a big part of the success of the business.”
“She’s probably the biggest supporter to
the family,” agrees Justin. “She makes sure everybody has what they need and does everything that nobody else wants to or has time to do, and I think she sees her role as making everybody feel a little more special.”
Along with Linda’s support roles in their business, Mike credits Leo Wood with much
of his success. “He really did a lot for me, and
I highly respect him,” he says. Mike also looks
up to industry icons like Jack Brooks and Sleepy Gilbreath, among others. “I look at what they accomplished, and I strive to be in the same plane as they were. Those are pretty lofty goals, and you have to work pretty hard to get close to that.
“It seems like it’s a lot harder these days to come up with that really big-time horse, just because there are so many good-bred colts and good individuals out there,” he adds.
In addition to Mike’s charges’ good breeding and natural abilities, Cody and Justin credit the horses’ successes to their father’s work ethic, his attention to detail and what they call Mike’s brutal honesty.
“He’s an extremely hard worker,” Justin says. “He has so much to teach and we’ve worked
attention to every small detail,” Cody says. “It’s so incredibly hard to make sure the horses are at their absolute best within a two- to three-week span.”
“And he’s probably a bit of a perfectionist ... in a good way.” Justin adds. “He has high expectations for everyone and everything, whether it be the horses or the employees. I’d call it a strength but
it’s a little hard on the help sometimes to live up to those expectations even though they make them better hands, whether they know it or not.”
Ten-time AQHA Champion Jockey G.R. Carter Jr. explains Mike’s “brutally honest” quality. “He’s pretty laid back, and a realist,” G.R. says. “He breaks these horses by what he actually feels they’re capable of, not what his heart or an owner’s heart wants. He’s not one to brag on those early babies until they’ve actually shown what they are.
SPEEDHORSE April 2023 131
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“My mom is kind of the glue that binds things together.” – Cody Joiner
5-time Graded
stakes winner Kendall Jackson, shown winning the New Mexico Championship Challenge-G1, was Mike’s first big trainee after his shoeinghiatusin the 1990’s.
Linda Joiner
Savannah, Jack, Laura and Cody Joiner
“Our business grew like wildfire from there.” – Linda Joiner
“He really did a lot for me, and I highly respect him.” – Mike Joiner
Speedhorse Archives
Mike Joiner first went to work with Leo Wood and credits him with much of his success.
Leo Wood
Tonkawa Downs
“He lets the horse do the talking and he’s
a pretty good judge of talent early-on in
Linda Joiner
their careers.” – 10-time AQHA Champion Jockey G.R. Carter Jr.