JULY / AUGUST 2020 | Page 25

PG.23
ARTICLE BY: JODIE ADAMS © 2020 V PHOTOS BY: LIZ SPEED PHOTOGRAPHY
& STEPHEN MOWBRAY PHOTOGRAPHY
2019 NCHA $7500 Non Pro Title Champion &
2019 NCHA Rookies Title Reserve Champion
Bill
Tonkin
Campdrafting since he was old
enough to compete, Rodeoing
after he left School, from
competing in the Rookie events
at the local show where he admits
his first attempt at Cutting wasn’t
very pretty, Bill Tonkin is now making
his mark in the Cutting arena.
As kids Ken May had a significant influence on
Bill’s horsemanship, his parents Campbell and
Kerry Ann used to attend his horsemanship
schools, “We (Bill & Amelia) used to tag along
and get a turn at the end. Then we went on
to do many of his horsemanship and colt starting schools. If
it weren’t for Ken’s influence, we wouldn’t ride the way we
do now. Ken used to say ‘prior performance preparation
prevents piss poor effort.’ I always thought that was a good
one,” recalls Bill.
“As long as I can remember every year as a kid we would go to
the Old Tamworth Showground and watch the NCHA Futurity
in June. Initially influenced to Cutting by trainers such as Ian
AQHA ~ JULY/AUGUST ISSUE 2020