Meet Di Troyk | A top level Mounted Archery Instructor for the Mounted Archery Association of the Americas

We had the good fortune of connecting with Di Troyk and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Di, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I was born in Long Beach, CA but raised out in Ridgecrest, CA. My father was John Wayne and Patton rolled into one, so I started riding by myself at the age of 3. I got my first horse at 10 and had to do all her training. We were top in barrel racing 2 years in a row and had her for 25 years.  From there I became a flight attendant for United, based in IL. I trained some horses and rode with my friend until my oldest daughter was 10. I got my next horse then and did, parades, trail trials, trail riding trained him to pull a sleigh and anything I could on a horse. That is where I started Mounted Archery when I was 50. My friend used my horse for Yabusame and came back from the 1st ever clinic for Mounted Archery in the US.  She told me my horse was good at it and I should go the next year and try it. So, I thought, great something new. I bought a bow (wrong kind), taught myself to shoot (wrong way) and practiced on my horse until the next year, where I went to the 5-day clinic and was hooked. This is now my 20th year training, competing and teaching this great sport. I have consistently done this longer than any woman in the US.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

Besides flying for United Airlines for 24 years,I got married at 22 anter flying for 2 years. I always rode horses throughout the years of marriage and kids but could not wait to get another horse when my oldest daughter was 10. That horse Magic who became my 1st archery horse.

Balancing flying, golf, riding and family, I took the clinic in 2002, then we moved from WI. to Scottsdale AZ. I brought my horse with me and continued practicing. Retired form flying, I went on horse trips, camping in the mountains and traveling.

 I knew after the 1st clinic, I wanted to practice and get others interested in it. Once I had my own first clinic in 2009, my dream was to have my own ranch and a course to train on. My husband Bill bought me 10 acres to put up my course and later a ranch site. My course hasbeen the #1 rated course in the country. I held the 2nd International Mounted Archery competition in 2016 and have since held the Nationals here every year. I Have been to S. Korea 7 times, Japan, Mongolia, Poland, Brazil and when we started having to compete to go as a team, I made the team and went to S Korea in 2016 at 65 and won a silver and 2 team golds. Then in 2018 I made the team for Hungary. I love competing as much as I love training others to love this wonderful sport. The camaraderie in horseback archery is amazing and it is like having a large family. No matter where you go, everyone is awesome. I loved traveling around the world and meeting new people. Now I only compete in the US, and it has grown so much. A lot of people around the country do not know about this sport but it is also growing around the world, and I love that I was a part of that. It is something so fun that your partner, (your horse), and you can do it almost anywhere . The most challenging is getting the insurance to cover teaching and competing because they do not understand how safe a horse sport this is. Yet it is one of the safest ever.
What could be more thrilling that racing with your partner, drawing an arrow from a quiver and let it fly at your target as you gallop past with wind in your hair mingling with the mane of your speeding horse.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First I would take them to the ranch and let them see all the beautiful horses, my rescued mini mule and mini horse, all the goats and the views of Four Peaks Mountains. If they wanted a lesson, I would give them one or take them on a scenic ride. Next, we would go to Cave Creek to walk around an Art festival and have dinner and country dancing at Harolds. The next day I would drive them to Tombstone, which I think is great and to the West is the Kartchner Caves. The most pristine caves in the US right now. Those 2 are a must see. Another day I might take them to Sedona, to see the beautiful red rocks, then Jerome, for lunch at the haunted hotel with a tour thru the oldest movie house in the West. Then on the way back to Scottsdale, at the Sedona ramp onto HWY 17, if you go under the freeway and do not get on yet, go 4 mi. to the ranger station and take the hike (very short) to the rock outcrop with all the Pictographs, where all the artwork in AZ comes from. There is a person there most of the time, to explain what all the drawings represent. Most do not know this is there. I love good movies and the Roadhouse theater is great to relax, watch a movie and be served food. The Zoo is awesome and the Musical Instrument Museum and all the art buildings in Old Town Scottsdale are great too. Favorite place to eat would be a Bar-B-Que on my patio.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

My first instructor Lukas Novotny and his partner Dana Hotko. They were my instructors at the first clinic of MA that I took and are still my friends. Next is Holm Neuman, he held bow camps at his ranch where I trained and taught others. Holm also talked me into and went with me to my first competition in 2010 to S Korea to the World Horseback Archery Competition. I took a Bronze in 1 event, went back the next year with him and won a gold. We are like brother and sister. My best friend BJ Smith started practicing with me in 2009 and started going to competitions around the US and became an instructor to help me, we still travel to competitions today. In 2016 my daughter started competing with us and still does. Lukas is the one who makes our horse bows and is one of the top horse bow makers in the world.

I also would like to give credit to my husband and my daughters for supporting me in this great adventure in my life, both my daughters love to ride, unfortunately my oldest daughter has three little kids in Michigan but would be doing this with us if she was here.  Erin, y daughter who competes with me now is an awesome mentor for younger new competitors.

Website: desertwarriors@sw-mountedarchery.com

Facebook: Desert Warriors of the Southwest Mounted Archery

Image Credits
Erin Troyk BJ Smith Grand MASTER KIM