About The Gorrells
Jake and Sonia Gorrell’s commitment to excellence, devotion to character and ethics is the foundation of Gorrell Performance Horses.
Gorrell Performance Background
Gorrell Performance Horses is located in Porterville, California, and is owned and operated by Jake and Sonia Gorrell.

Jake was raised to value education, both traditional and the kind he could receive in his field of interest. He earned a degree in business administration, with an emphasis on marketing from the highly accredited Albertson College in Idaho. He then moved to California to work as an assistant trainer to Jon Roeser, one of the top trainers and competitors in the cow horse industry. After three years, Jake began to train on his own. His continual success, as evidenced by his winnings, speaks to his work ethic and dedication to excellence. Jake has combined his business knowledge with his horse expertise to build Gorrell Performance Horses.
Sonia’s parents were second generation ranchers who passed their strong work ethics, knowledge, and interest in the industry on to their children. Sonia began to compete in Junior Rodeos at the age of three and won several All-Around titles at local Junior Rodeos beginning in 1986. She stared team roping with her father at the age of nine and roped with her twin sister on the girls’ team in High School Rodeo. Sonia’s ability interest in animals, and horses in particular, led her to compete in FFA as well as in High School Rodeo. Today, she continues to train her own futurity horses, trains for others, and sells disciplined, well-mannered barrel horses.
Jake, Sonia, & Chet Gorrell

Teamed with wife, Sonia, Jake’s business offers clients unique diversity. They believe in the inherent ability of each horse, and they have the experience to get the best from the horses they train. As a result, they are able to take horses to unusual levels of success in differing disciplines.
Sonia Gorrell
Now offering for 2019: Barrel horse training for futurity prospects, open to 4d horses. Also offering Yearling fitting for sale horses for major sale events.
2019
- CCHA Cowhorse Shows
2018
- WCBRA finals money earner
2017
- WCBRA finals money earner
2009
- California PRCA/WPRA Circuit Qualifier
- ACBRA Open Champion
- ACBRA 3rd Place Under 1000
- BRN4D Open Finalist
2007
- ACBRA Under 1000 Average Winner
- ACBRA Under 3500 Average Winner
2006
- Oklahoma City Barrel Futurity
- 2006 ACBRA Under 1000 Average Winner
2005
- California PRCA/WPRA Circuit Qualifier
- Oklahoma City Barrel Futurity
- Wowana Barrel Racing Futurity Champion
- Beth Cooper Memorial Go-Around Placer
2004
- Cheyenne Frontier Days Finals Contestant
- AW4D Western Regional Winner
2002
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- California PRCA/WPRA Circuit Qualifier
1999
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- California PRCA/WPRA Rookie of the Year Barrel Racing
- California PRCA/WPRA Circuit Qualifier
1997
- West Coast NIRA Reserve Champion Barrel Racing
1996
- West Coast NIRA Barrel Racing Champion
- College National Finals Go Around Winner
- NIRA 3rd place Average Barrel Racing
- West Coast Average Barrel Racing
- 1996 West Coast Average Breakaway Roping
Jake Gorrell
World’s Greatest Horseman Finalist – 5 years in a row
A top 5 finalist at every NRCHA and NSHA major event since 2002
2017
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- NRCHA Million Dollar Rider
- Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Champion
2016
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- HolyCow Performance Horses Open Bridle Spectacular
2014
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- Aug – NSHA Derby Champion Playin It Smooth , owned by Kalpowar Qtr Horses
- Aug – NSHA Derby 4th
- Aug – NSHA Futurity Money earner, Smart Dual Nic, owned by Dave Bush
- June – NRCHA Derby top ten Playin It Smooth, Kalpowar Qtr Horses
- March – NRCHA Holy Cow Performance Horses Open Bridle Champion Smooth N Cash, Rolloff Ranch
- March – NRCHA Stallion Stakes Top Ten Cd Sparkle, San Juan Ranch
- Feb – NRCHA Worlds Greatest Horseman Finalist, Smooth N Cash Roloff Ranch
2013
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- Oct – IRCHA DERBY Reserve Champion, Cd Sparkle, San Juan Ranch
- Sept – NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Top Ten Playin It Smooth, Kalpowar Qtr Horses
- Sept – NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Finalist New Blue Dress, Newt White
- Sept – NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Bridle Finalist, Smooth N Cash, Roloff Ranch
- Sept – NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Hackimore Finalist I’m Smooth N Smart Joel Jewett
- Sept – NSHA Futurity Finalist Dressin Up, Newt White
- Sept – NSHA Futurity Finalist Playin It Smooth, Kalpowar Quarter Horses
- June – NRCHA Derby Holy Cow Performance Horses Bridle Open Bridle, Reserve Champion, Smooth N Cash Roloff Ranch
- March – NRCHA Stakes Open Novice Horse Champion Stylish Drifter, Kalpowar Quarter Horse
- March – NRCHA Stakes Open Novice Horse 5th
- March – NRCHA Stakes Open top 10 Finalist, Stylish Drifter, Kalpowar Quarter Horses
- Feb – NRCHA Worlds Greatest Horsemen finalist, Smooth N Cash, Roloff Ranch
- Place Cd Sparkle, owned by San Juan Ranch
- Place, Red Hot Jade, Dave Bush
- NRCHA World Championship Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Preliminary Champion and High-scoring gelding on Playin Ace High owned by Mike and Linda Silveira
- NRCHA World Championship Snaffle Bit Futurity Show Open Hackamore Finalist on A Smooth Quixote owned by Kalpowar Quarter Horses
- NSHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion on Playin Ace High owned by Mike and Linda Silveira
- Finalist NRCHA Derby on A Smooth Quixote owned by Kalpowar Quarter Horses
- Top 10 Finalist NRCHA Derby on Smooth N Cash owned by Roloff Ranch
- Finalist NRCHA Hackamore Classic on Smooth N Cash
- Finalist NRCHA Stallion Stakes on Smooth N Cash
- Finalist NRCHA Stallion Stakes on Smooth Quixote
- Reserve Champion NSHA Cowhorse Classic on Smooth N Cash
2008
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- 4th Place Finalist, NRCHA World
- Championship Snaffle Bit Futurity on Smooth N Cash
- Open Champion, California Rodeo Salinas Open Bridle on Quick As Einstein
- Reserve Champion, California Rodeo Salinas Open Bridle on Whos Ganna Know
- California Rodeo Salinas Open Hackamore Champion on CD Sweet Playgirl
- 2006 – AQHA World Champion Jr. Working Cowhorse on Paid By A Starlett
- 2005 – Open Champion, NRCHA Derby on Quick As Einstein
- 2004 – Open Champion VCHA Fresno Futurity on Quick As Einstein
- 2003 – Open Bridle National Champion NRCHA Riding Quite the Reflection