story by Riata Cummings
A senior at Box Elder High School, Aubrey Baxter enjoys her math class, agricultural science classes and her FFA activities. Aubrey lives on a cattle ranch in Corrine, Utah, with her parents, Dalene and Matt Baxter. She also has four siblings; Chance, McKay, Cheyanne and Bo. Together, the family spends times branding calves, moving cattle and taking care of the ranch.
Aubrey’s parents competed in high school rodeo, and she started the sport when she was about 10. The now 18-year-old competes in the barrel racing and pole bending. She especially loves the pole bending because “you have to keep up with your horse and maneuver around so many obstacles that it makes it so fun.” After high school, Aubrey hopes to hit the rodeo circuit as a professional barrel racer.
Aubrey’s horse is a 9-year-old, bay roan gelding named Tabasco. “He is my best friend. Riding him has always been a good outlet for me. I just enjoy being around him.” One of Aubrey’s favorite accomplishments has been training her own horse to be able to compete against the toughest horses in the state. She hopes that the spring season will give her the opportunity to place and earn points to go to state.
One of the hardest things Aubrey has been through was losing the first horse she trained. “We started competing well together and in the beginning of my sophomore year my horse coliced and died.” Her friends and family helped her keep going and supported her while she got her new horse and started working with him.
Aubrey’s greatest strength is her bold personality. She strives to be strong enough to stand up for herself and for others. That boldness has helped her ride her horse into the arena, time and again, to compete for a winning run.
Aubrey’s heroes include her mother and her Grandpa Daune. Her mother is “always willing to help” and her grandfather “was always there to push me to do what I love. When I chased my dreams, it made him happy.”
Aubrey would like to thank her parents and family for being her support system and pushing her to be her best. She is grateful for the opportunity to compete in the Utah High School Rodeo Association and for the people who have made it possible.
