story by Lily Weinacht
Elizabeth Smith lives in Silverthorne, Colorado, where many people own a pair of skis instead of a horse, but the 15-year-old’s passion has been rodeo ever since she was a young girl. “I started Little Britches when I was five, but I’ve been riding since I could walk,” says Elizabeth. “I really like the people I get to meet because we share the same life, and I think it’s a really great sport because it requires a lot of dedication and hard work. You have to be there and learn about the animal and figure it out yourself.”
Several years ago, it was uncertain that Elizabeth would ever rodeo again. She had a bad injury when her horse fell on her, and she was told she likely wouldn’t be able to play basketball or participate in goat tying anymore. “I was out for three years, and I missed all three years of junior high rodeo. That was really hard to come back, because I lost three years of training and fell behind everyone else.” Yet Elizabeth persisted, and she is now entering her second year of high school rodeo this fall. She also enters CJRA rodeos, competing in both associations in pole bending, goat tying, and breakaway roping. “My favorite is the goat tying. I think that it takes a lot of work from you and your horse, and I just think it’s really fun.”
Elizabeth Smith – courtesy of the family
She rides her mare, Ginger, in the goat tying, and competes on Jeff in breakaway roping and Leroy in pole bending. She trained all her horses in their rodeo events with the help of her mom, Shelley, who works on a ranch and manages the horses and training. “All my horses that I buy start out as reining and working cow horse, so they’re pretty quick and intelligent, and they pick up rodeo pretty good,” says Elizabeth. “My mom has been a really big part of rodeo because no matter what we’re doing, she would never want me to stop rodeoing.” Elizabeth is also thankful for her sponsor, Dillon Towing and Recovery, who helps make her rodeo seasons possible.
Elizabeth practices daily, and her sister, Ashley, 10, is starting junior high rodeo next fall, so they can all travel to the same rodeos together. Their brother, Luke, 8, doesn’t compete, but he’s often hard at work helping his sisters by driving the four-wheeler or holding goats during practice.
A sophomore at Summit High School, Elizabeth is the only student in her school that rodeos. “I like English, and I’ve been in Advanced English for a few years. I like any type of writing or analyzing books – I think that’s interesting.” Elizabeth plays basketball on the Summit Girls Basketball team, and she also enjoys going to movies or going out to lunch with her friends when she’s not rodeoing.
She never leaves for a rodeo without her Miniature Australian Shepherd, Cowboy, who doesn’t like to be left home. “I like going to Latigo to rodeo because the indoor arena is really nice,” says Elizabeth. “I’d like to keep a 4.0 GPA throughout high school, and I’d really like to run a six in goat tying.”
