story by Riata Cummings
Alexis Anderson is the 13-year-old daughter of Juli and Casey Anderson of Oakley, Utah. She is an eighth-grader at South Summit Middle School where her favorite classes include history and Spanish. Alexis is the second of four children and her siblings are Chet, Quin, and Hadlee. The family enjoys spending time together in the great outdoors going for rides or playing games. Alexis enjoys playing basketball, softball, and volleyball and has now added rodeo to her list of sports.
Alexis has always loved horses and riding, but it wasn’t until her friend, Lakel, pushed her to ask her parents about competing that rodeo became a real possibility for Alexis. This will be Alexis’s first season, and she will be competing in barrel racing, pole bending, breakaway roping, ribbon roping, team roping, goat tying, and the light rifle shooting. She is looking forward to roping at the rodeo but is also really enjoying preparing her horses for the barrel racing and pole bending. Alexis has set a goal to, “Be good, get good, and get used to competing in rodeo.”
Alexis’s horses include June, a 6-year-old mare with a sweet disposition, and Shadow, a fast mare with a gentle demeanor. Alexis plans to pattern both horses in every event and to allow them to “prove their talent”. So far, the most rewarding aspect of working with her horses has been the sense of accomplishment that comes with doing something difficult. It can be intimidating for her to get on a challenging horse, but Alexis has always been determined. “Handling a horse kind of makes you feel like you can handle anything. They are big animals with a mind of their own and they can be really intimidating. If I can do that, I can do anything as long as I work hard.” One day Alexis would like to work as a horse trainer and riding instructor or as a veterinarian. She says, “I love working with horses and I love helping people,” and she wants to turn it into a career.
Alexis’s hero is Amberly Snyder, the paralyzed barrel racer who never gave up. Alexis wants to be like Amberly and, “never give up and always believe in myself.” Alexis lives by the quote, “cowgirls do it better,” and she wishes the world could see just how strong the heart of a cowgirl is. Alexis would like to thank her friend Lakel for pushing her to rodeo and supporting her as she prepares to compete. She would especially like to thank her parents for allowing her to compete and helping her step into the world of rodeo.
