It’s hard to believe that 15-year-old Marley Miller has been competing in rodeos for about 11 years.
She started around 3 or 4 years old, and now competes in barrel racing, pole bending and breakaway and ribbon roping. The Chandler sophomore most recently competed at the International FinalsYouth Rodeo in Shawnee in barrel racing and pole bending.
“In barrels, I kind of drew on days where the ground was really muddy, but I made good runs,” she said. “I didn’t make the short in barrels, but I made it in poles.”
Miller placed ninth overall in polebending. Each event is challenging in its own way, with Miller saying the most challenging aspect is riding all the different styles of horses and understanding the moves they’ll make. She has three horses she rides -- Annie for pole, Pete for barrels and Peach for roping.
“I’ve used the same pole horse for probably two years now. And then my roping horse is, he’s kind of young. He’s a six-yearold. And I trained him and everything,” she said. “Then my main barrel horse, I ride him for a man who lives in Meeker (Tyler Hicks), and I’ve rode him for like, probably three years now.”
Her mother, Sarah, added that Hicks is a huge supporter of Marley’s rodeo achievements.
Peach is the first horse that Marley has trained and she said it was a challenge.
“He was very difficult at first, but it took me a long time to figure out all his buttons that he had to be able to handle him the right way,” she said.
Training is something that Miller is interested in doing more. Currently, she’s training a new horse -- four-year-old Josie -- on barrels, and said that she’s been so much easier than Peach. Mostly, Marley tries to keep her horses in shape as she practices and preps for rodeos.
It’s certainly not been an easy choice, especially as Miller has to balance rodeos with school. She travels sometimes as far as three or four hours and has to leave school early on Fridays.
“And sometimes my teachers get upset cause I choose rodeo over school. Or like, in December, we go to a rodeo in Vegas, and I’m gone for a week and a half. And that, that’s probably the hardest one cause I have, and that’s like a very, I don’t know why, that’s a very test-taking time. So I come back, and I just have all these tests to make up,” she said.
Thankfully, Marley has the help and support of her parents, Sarah and Marlon, who make sure she gets her homework done and studies. If she needs help with her work, they’re right there for her. She said her mother drives her to all her competitions and while her dad often has work, he comes by to either watch or just to hang out whenever he can.
Rodeo is something she hopes to do beyond high school. Marley would like to go on the pro circuit someday, though she said that if she doesn’t make it there, she’ll still compete in weekend jackpots.
“I’ll rodeo through my high school career and then after, like, during college, I’ll come back and rodeo and stuff on the weekends and then just kind of see what happens after that,” she said.
Marley recalls the Little Britches Nationals from two years ago as a competition that really stands out as one of her best. In her first run in barrels, she was second out of 300 to 400 competitors. In ribbons, she was second in the world.
However, there’s nothing quite like competing in her hometown. Marley will be at both nights of the Chandler Open Rodeo. This year is the 86th event, and includes barrels, roping, bronc riding, bull riding and more.
For Marley, it’s all about giving her friends and family a chance to see her compete, as well as connecting with other competitors.
“I like to see all the people… talk to everyone that lives by me,” she said.
She added that she thinks local rodeos are important to let everyone see what other people do.
“There’s a lot of people I go to school with that are really interested in rodeo, but they don’t ever get to see it, so the Chandler rodeo is the only time they ever get to like come out and watch,” she said.
The 86th Annual Chandler Open Rodeo and Baby Bale Spring takes place on July 26 and 27 at the Roundup Club Arena next to the football field. It starts up at 8 p.m. both nights and the high money winner will be combined of both nights and will receive custom spurs by Kirby Wanger.
Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for kids (6 to 12) in advance and $8 and $6 at the gate. For tickets, contact United Country Real Estate or one of the Rodeo Queen contestants.