story by Lily Weinacht
McKayla Miller put her town of St. John, Kansas, on the map at the 2018 NJHFR, winning Reserve All-Around Champion Cowgirl and finishing in the top ten in the nation in three of her events. The 13-year-old represented Kansas at the 2017 NJHFR as well but truly found her stride this year, returning home with a Slone Saddle, six buckles, and other prizes such as a therapy sheet for her horse, gift certificates, and scholarship money. Fortunately, she had just won a buckle holder at state finals a few weeks before, though some of the buckles may go on belts they hang in their house. “I really like it (Nationals) because everybody there is good and you have to step up your game and do good,” says McKayla. “It’s always fun hanging out with everybody for more than just two days, and a few of my friends and I went to a water park in town.”
Going into the NJHFR as the 2018 KJHSRA All-Around Cowgirl and Barrel Racing Champion, and reserve state champion in goat tying and ribbon roping with Cash Fuesz, McKayla finished fourth in the world in goat tying, and eighth in ribbon roping and breakaway roping. She and Cash have been ribbon roping partners the last two years, McKayla running and Cash roping, while she also team roped this season with Peyton Blank. Though she enjoys all of her roping events, breakaway roping is her favorite. Her parents, Mark and Denise Miller, have both roped and taught McKayla. Mark continues to team rope and Denise runs barrels, while McKayla’s aunt Sandy Sherwood and cousin Carly Strobel taught her to tie goats. Her 11-year-old brother, Mace, also ropes, and McKayla enjoys entering jackpots or USTRC ropings with her dad on occasion.
Following the NJHFR, McKayla and her family stopped at a lake in South Dakota on their way home to camp for several days, kayak, fish, and go for trail rides. The horses she took to Nationals, Willie, Hidalgo, and Tadpole, also enjoyed the change of scenery. “My barrel horse, Willie, is usually pretty consistent and he takes care of me really well, especially considering that he’s blind in one eye. I tie goats on my Paint horse we call Hidalgo, and I head on him too. Cash tied goats on him too—he won state in goat tying and 17th in the nation, and we were up the same nights. My breakaway horse is Tadpole. I trained him myself and started to ride him when he was 4, and we learned together. He’s my favorite—he’s pretty goofy and I feel like we have a special bond.”
Before the fall rodeo season starts, McKayla is spending the rest of her summer playing in basketball tournaments and going to a volleyball camp. She also plays on her school’s basketball team, and starts eighth grade this fall at St. John Junior High School. Several of her friends that live nearby enjoy riding as well and they get together and ride bareback. Although she competed in Little Britches rodeos this spring, her main focus is on junior high rodeos and a third qualification to the NJHFR. “Just being successful and having good teachers makes rodeo a lot more fun, and the great horses,” says McKayla. “My new goal is to win the all around next year at Nationals.”
