Hattie Cornia - Western Edge Photography

Meet the Member Hattie Cornia

story by Riata Christiansen

Small town Woodruff, Utah, is where cowgirl Hattie Cornia calls home. With a population of about 200 people, they have one store, one mechanics shop, and a post office. Even though not much goes on there, Hattie and her family enjoy living there. As a family, they enjoy hunting and working on their ranch where they run cattle. Her younger brother, Hunter, will be going into the second grade. Hattie and her older sister Taylee play basketball and volleyball, so they spend time together on their trips.
This year Taylee will compete in the Utah High School Rodeo Association as a freshman, and Hattie is just a grade younger competing in the Jr. High division. Hattie is an all around cowgirl and competes in the barrel racing, pole bending, breakaway roping, goat tying, and ribbon roping. Her favorite event is the goat tying because it’s so fun. At the 2017 State Finals, she beat her personal record with a 7.73 goat run. She proceeded to compete at the Silver State International Rodeo in Winnemucca, Nevada, where she had great experiences and a lot of fun. This year she is working hard to make it back there and keep improving her rodeo skills.
This year the 13-year-old will be attending Rich Middle School as an eighth grader. Her favorite parts of school are spending time with her friends and her physical education classes. Hattie also plays the violin and the piano. One day she would like to go to Utah State University and become a dental hygienist. Another dream of hers is to make it the National Finals Rodeo when she is older.
Hattie’s dad, Waylon, used to compete in rodeo, so Hattie and her siblings grew up with the sport. With the help of their dad and the support of their mom, Natalie, they have worked hard to be as good as they are today. One thing they have taught Hattie is to prACTice like a champion. This encompasses two parts, the practicing and the acting. Practicing like a champion means that you build the pressured and intense circumstances while in the practice pen, so that the rodeo hype doesn’t mess with your game. The hard practices prepare you for hard draws, bad arenas and tricky situations. The mental preparation helps you become a champion. The acting like a champion means not letting one win go to your head. Hattie has learned to stay humble and keep working if you want to be a true champion.
A typical practice at the Cornia house includes working the barrel and pole horses right off. Next the girls either rope calves or they rope the calf tracker. Then everyday finishes with some goat tying practice. Hattie rides Cookie Dough for barrels and poles, Mac for breakaway roping, and Mandie for the goat tying. Besides horses, they own goats, sheep, ducks, cows, and two dogs; Chubs the Red Heeler, and Snot the Border Collie.
Hattie’s rodeo hero is her own dad. He sets a good example of positivity and hard work. He keeps them going and makes them feel better, even if a run doesn’t go as planned. Another of Hattie’s hero’s is her grandma, who takes the kids on lots of trips and is teaching by example how to be outgoing and involved.

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