By Lily Weinacht
McKayla Miller from St. John, Kan., is the proud owner of seven saddles and multiple buckles. She earned several of these for winning the all-around title in the 7 – 9 division during the 2015 KJRA finals. “We have buckles all over the house!” says McKayla. “If I’m practicing breakaway, I’ll wear my breakaway buckle, and if I’m exercising my pole and barrel horse then I’ll put a barrel buckle on.”
McKayla, 11, has been competing in the KJRA since she was six, although she started riding three years earlier on her first horse, Mystery. Both her parents, Denise and Mark, competed in rodeo growing up, and they continue to compete, Denise running barrels and Mark team roping. McKayla competes in breakaway roping, goat tying, pole bending, barrel racing, and steer breakaway roping, and she has also started team roping with her dad. “My two favorite events are goat tying and poles,” says McKayla. “I play basketball, and it reminds me of goat tying. In pole bending, I love going really fast and having to watch out for the poles.”
Currently, McKayla is leading the goat tying, barrel racing, and pole bending in her division of the KJRA, while she is also competing in the Young Guns rodeo series in Dodge City, Kan., this winter. “I like working to get better at my events, and seeing all my friends,” says McKayla. “I have the most trouble with breakaway, so I practice that more. My mom helps me out a lot, and both my parents come help me when I practice. I’m a heeler for my dad when we team rope, but he wants me to learn to head, too.”
McKayla, her eight-year-old brother, Mace, and their parents live several miles outside of St. John. Mace plays football and also competes in the KJRA, and his events include breakaway roping, goat tying, and steer breakaway roping. The Miller farm is home to 18 horses, a handful of cats, several roping calves and steers, and five dogs, one of which is Twix, McKayla’s chocolate lab puppy. McKayla practices on her horses several times a week between her other school sports, often joined by Mace in the arena. “I do barrels and poles on Catfish – I’ve had him ever since I started rodeoing – and I just got my breakaway and goat horse, Tadpole,” says McKayla. “I also just started using a barrel horse that my mom trained named Willie. I’ve done a few jackpots on him, and I took him to his first rodeo for Young Guns a few weeks ago.”
During the week, McKayla can be found at St. John Elementary School. A fifth grader, her favorite subject is Language Arts. “We do spelling and read stories, and then we write about what we read,” McKayla explains. “I really like horse or adventure stories.” McKayla plays basketball and volleyball on her school’s team, and her volleyball team won all but one game this season. McKayla also plays French horn in band. “French horn is fun, but it’s really hard,” she says. “I also play guitar.” When she’s home from school, McKayla heads out to help her mom muck stalls, and when chores are done, she enjoys spending time with her friends or playing with Mace in one of their many tree forts.
As for her goals, McKayla plans to add to her saddle and buckle collection. “My goal is to beat my mom someday in a barrel race that we go to together,” she adds. “I’d like to go to college and play basketball, and after that, I want to rodeo!”
