The Horsemen were first announced by owner Chris Reynolds in late 2017, with the expressed interest in joining either the Indoor Football League or Champions Indoor Football. However, due to instability with both leagues, Reynolds took a "wait-and-see approach" before making a decision[2] with the intent to start play in 2019.[3]
On March 23, 2019, the Idaho Horsemen played their first game at the Ford Idaho Center in front of 2054 spectators[citation needed] against the Wenatchee Valley Skyhawks. The Horsemen scored on their first drive in five plays on a run by quarterback Hayden Wright. The Horsemen went on to win 33–22. The Horsemen went undefeated in their first season at 12–0 and earned the right to host the AWFC championship game.[5] They defeated the Reno Express 40–20 to win the league championship.[6]
Prior to the planned start of the 2020 AWFC season, the Tri-Cities Fire folded leading to the Horsemen announcing they would play an independent schedule.[7] The league then tried to move forward with three teams — Idaho, Wenatchee, and the expansion Yakima Canines — following the withdrawal of the Reno Express from the league with non-league teams filling for the newly vacant dates.[8] The AWFC then postponed the 2020 season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic[9] and then cancelled the season entirely due to the unavailability of arenas during the pandemic.[10]
After winning the 2023 AWFC championship, the Horsemen were announced as joining the National Arena League (NAL) for the 2024 season.[11]
^"AWFC History". AWFC. Retrieved February 27, 2020. Platinum Events & Security LLC. the same owner of the Idaho Horsemen Football Organization came to the idea of launching the AWFC after vetting many different leagues across the country.
