ProFile: Mayce Marek

Mayce Marek is looking forward to starting a new chapter in her life – she will be going to Warton Junior College on a rodeo scholarship, majoring in business with a minor in physical therapy. “I want to look into business and running an equine facility that has a deal for troubled or disabled kids,” said the 18 year old from Taylor, Texas. “I want to be around equine all the time and I like helping the youth. I’ve seen a lot of different cases where equine has a positive effect on youth. I want to give back in some way what horses have done for me. My life revolves around them – they’ve given me a future and helped me find friends that have become family.”
Her summer rodeo run proved to be quite profitable as she won $12,000 at the Best of the Best; winning both the goat tying and the breakaway roping – and the All Around. “Winning Gallup was the biggest win I have had. As far as a youth rodeo, there aren’t many rodeos that pay like that. Along with the money, I won two pairs of Corral boots, and two American hats, an Ipad and leather cover.” She took the money and put it away for college.
Mayce started rodeo at the age of five. “My mom and dad had both rodeoed and I’d always been around horses. I started out barrel racing and got into the breakaway roping and goat tying. It’s a lot more you in the roping events – barrel racing was about horse power.”
Mayce is an only child. “It comes in handy when it comes to rodeo, because it’s not cheap to compete. But sometimes I’d like to have siblings.”
Her mom (Misty) and dad (Rob) divorced when she was four. “My faith got me to where I am – and I learned that from life – by being allowed to never have to put down a rope – even when times got tough. God always seemed to help me get to the next one and I’ve been thankful for that.”
Mayce tries to tie goats at least three times a week. “I rope everyday either the rope sled or live cattle.” All the practice worked. “At the Best of the Best – it comes from all the practice you do in the practice pen. I would think about my run, seeing it in my head. So when it came time, it was muscle memory – at that point it just happens and you use everything you have prepared to do.”
Mayce is grateful for her life thus far. “Struggling and prospering from it is good. Anything is possible with faith – you set your mind to something, it’s only if you want it bad enough you can do it. If you have faith, there’s nothing you can’t achieve.”