Last week, hundreds of young cowboys and cowgirls from across the globe have descended on Shawnee, Oklahoma, for the annual International Finals Youth Rodeo (IFYR). Among them are three Lincoln County natives proudly representing central Oklahoma: Marley Miller of Chandler, Dulynn Schaefer of Stroud, and Ember Lane of Meeker.
For 14-year-old Marley Miller, the path to the IFYR began at the age of 4 when her mother first placed her on a horse. “I loved it,” she said. Now entering her freshman year at Chandler High School, Miller is making her debut at the IFYR and hopes to one day compete professionally.
“My mom always did barrel rodeos,” she said. “This is what I’ve done my whole life.”
Miller currently owns nine horses and is riding her quarter horse, Pete, at this year’s competition. She competes primarily in barrel racing, a sport she’s been training for since she was about six years old.
“I want to see if I can keep up,” she said of sharing the arena with more experienced athletes. “All the Pro girls are always there and really fun to talk to. I’ve met a lot of cool people.” She added.
Balancing rodeo with school life hasn’t always been easy. Last December, she missed over a week of class to compete in a national rodeo event in Las Vegas.
“It’s hard to do this. I’m still in school, and teachers don’t always understand that I need time to do this,” she said.
Some rodeios take longer than others. “Big rodeos last for weeks, but smaller ones are just a weekend. I like doing both.”
Miller has competed in the National Little Britches Rodeo Association (NLBRA) for years and recently completed their finals. “I did really good,” she said.
The IFYR, which does not require qualifying events for entry, offers young riders like Marley an accessible way to experience high level competition. “I like that it doesn’t have qualifiers,” she said. Joining her in Shawnee is 15-year-old Dulynn Schaefer, a homeschooled sophomore enrolled in Epic Charter Schools. Schaefer, who lives in Stroud, has also been riding horses for as long as she can remember.
“My mom did racing when I was little, and she got me into it,” she said. She started racing at six and now works regularly with 13 horses. For IFYR, she’s competing on her quarter horse, Taxi.
Though this is her first time competing at IFYR, Schaefer is no stranger to the rodeo circuit. She performed well at last week’s NLBRA finals in Guthrie, and is eager to make her mark in Shawnee.
“I just like the experience and the friends I’ve made,” she said. “Really everything about it.”
Her favorite event is barrel racing. “It’s just what I’m the best at,” she said. She gave up basketball to focus more seriously on rodeo. “If I’m not at the rodeo, I’m practicing.”
Like Miller, Schaefer has aspirations to go pro. “I have a goal of making it to the National Finals Rodeo,” she said. “I just really enjoy it and hopefully want to do it all my life. Maybe not as much when I get older, but I still want to keep at it.”
Both girls are part of a growing community of young rodeo athletes who are balancing the demands of education, travel, and elite competition.
And for a few days this July, the spotlight was on them right here in Shawnee.
The IFYR runs through the week at the Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center and features events like barrel racing, team roping, steer wrestling and more with top prizes and a national spotlight on youth competitors.