Jeffrey James Thorstenson was born May 22, 1971, at the Mobridge Community Hospital in Mobridge, SD to James Thorstenson and Deborah (Sather) Meints. Jeff's early Childhood was spent in Mobridge until the family moved to Aberdeen, where he graduated from Aberdeen Central High School in May of 1989. It was as young boys, that Jeff along with his brothers, fell in love with horses and roping. The boys roped every chance they had. Jeff qualified many times for State and National High School Finals and also continued to rise through the amateur and professional rodeo ranks, many times qualifying for the NRCA, SDRA and Badlands Circuit Finals. However, nothing thrilled him more than roping with his son Jace and wife Kristie. Jeff attended Pratt, Kansas Vo-Tech and Watertown Vo-Tech. Jeff would also later attend auctioneers' school in Mason City, Iowa. However, it was always his dream to breed and train team roping horses. Of course, after he met the love of his life Kristie, Price they had to add barrel horses into the mix, every team roper's nightmare. A team roper's wife is supposed to work, so he can team rope full time, but they compromised, and Jeff continued to work quite hard, more than your average team roper. Jeff and Kristie were married May 17th, 1995, at Rapid City, SD. Following their marriage, they lived in the New Underwood area where together they began to make their dream of raising and training good horses come true. Jeff rode colts and shod a lot of horses and trained team roping horses and of course rodeoed a lot. They relocated to Cave Creek, AZ to continue their passion together and it wasn't long after, on August 14, 2003, when their pride and joy Jace joined their family.
Jeff and Kristie purchased an unbroke 2-year-old stud colt, by the name of Sadie's Frosty Drift and turned him into one of the best stallions in the country. Sadie's was not only a very accomplished individual but was also a great sire. He could team rope, breakaway rope, and was an outstanding barrel horse often times doing all that at the same rodeo. Jeff and Kristie eventually made the hard decision to sell Sadie and he relocated to Brazil. He produced a 2016 world champion Barrel horse, Sadie's Last Word. Jeff was also a 27-year member of the AQHA. Jeff worked many sales over the years as an auctioneer and also as a pedigree man using his vast knowledge of working horses.
Jeff also loved to host roping schools both in South Dakota and Arizona and together took in a lot of young people and mentored them in horsemanship and in the arena. Jeff and Kristie relocated to Morristown, AZ in 2020 where he continued to live until his passing. Jeff had friends all over the US through the connections that he had in the horse business.
Jeff is survived by his wife of 27 years Kristie, son Jace of Morristown, AZ, mother, Deborah Meints of Rapid City, SD, father, James Thorstenson of Fruitdale, SD, his brothers, Justin (Julie) of Dupree, SD and Jason of Wittman, AZ, step sister, Lisa (Jim) Miller of Bismarck, ND, grandmother, Bea Sather of Mobridge, SD, in-laws, Jay and Connie Price of New Underwood, SD, 2 brothers-in-law, Clint (Nicole) Price of New Underwood, SD and Cory Price of Sturgis, SD, a host of nieces and nephews and 2 great nieces, Liv and Nayve.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Ralph and Alice Thorstenson, Mick Sather, Delbert and Lois Stinson, and Stanley and Clarice Price.
People often admired how much he loved his family and how he never changed, he wore the same style of shirt and jeans every day. Jeff was a man who knew who he was and was confident in it. He was also the type of guy who when you ran into him you always stayed longer than you planned to visit, and he tried to make sure you left feeling happier than he found you.
