story by Riata Christiansen
McKall Burton has nothing but pure passion for the sport of rodeo. The fourteen-year-old has been competing since she was only three and has what seems to be an inborn fondness for rodeo.
Her first horse, Meg, came straight off the racetrack. Despite the horse’s speed and hot headedness, McKall had a way of calming her down as soon as she was on. She started by walking the barrel pattern, but by the time McKall was six, she was running Meg at full speed. The two trusted each other and had a bond that can only be felt between a girl and her horse. Whether it was watching the NFR, admiring bucking horses, or dreaming of becoming a barrel racer, McKall took to rodeo like a duck takes to water. She started at local rodeos in Logandale or Cedar City, but it was only a matter of time until her dreams and horses took her further.
McKall’s family can also be accredited with igniting that passion. They reside in Parowan, Utah, where both of her parents grew up. Jared and Amber, her parents, were both raised on farms there and now her father works as a farrier. McKall has a younger sister, Reese, who is just two years her junior. The two are very close and McKall considers her a best friend as well as a sister. The family is very supportive of McKall, in and out of the rodeo arena. She is a very active and competitive athlete, competing in basketball, track and field, softball, and volleyball. Her favorite subject in school is art, where she gets to express her creativity through color and design.
McKall feels very blessed because she has been given the opportunity to ride a horse with his own legend. Sham, a twenty-six-year-old gelding, is known throughout Southern Utah. He has been rodeoing for years and still gives his all in the arena. He is a phenomenal pole bending horse despite his age and has also seen success in the barrel racing. McKall also rides a horse named Tuff, who she has been working with for about a year in the barrel racing. She is in the process of building a relationship with Tuff so that Sham can retire, but it takes time. This year she hopes to become a stronger rider so that her and Tuff can find success.
Besides the competition, her favorite parts of rodeo include being with her family, seeing her friends, and meeting new people. She loves to watch the athletes as she prepares and feels the family-like bond with other members of the UJHSRA. Some of her favorite rodeos include the Heber Jr. High Rodeo, Logandale Fair Rodeo, and the Salina Little Britches series. Last year, she qualified for the Little Britches Finals in Oklahoma.
One of her rodeo heroes is Cody Wright, a world champion saddle bronc rider that she has looked up to since she was a small girl. She admires her grandmother, Jean Stubbs, for being so Christlike. She knows her grandma would do anything for anyone and supports McKall in all of her endeavors.
Rodeo has taught McKall to work hard, have fun, and stay determined. Despite her success, she stays humble and vows to keep working for improvement. She lives by the words, “Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Keep growing. Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever.”
