story by Lily Weinacht
Nine-year-old Macy Hancock from San Angelo, Texas, finished her first season in the AJRA riding high, winning the 8 and Under World Champion
Breakaway Roper and Reserve All-Around Cowgirl titles during the 2015 AJRA Finals, along with Reserve World Champion in the goat tying and Reserve Champion in the barrel racing. She also won the All-Around for the Finals, and now competes in the 9-12 age division.Her events including barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, and breakaway roping. Macy even entered the double mugging for the first time at the Tall City Blowout in Midland, Texas. “I like the competition, and spending time with my friends and family,” she explains, adding that her favorite rodeo of the season is the Finals in Sweetwater, Texas. “Everybody is there together as a family, and we also go swimming and have a pizza party.” She particularly enjoys barrel racing on her horse, Ice Man, a 16-year-old gelding. “Ice Man’s also a 20 second pole horse,” says Shane, Macy’s dad, “and he’s really been a blessing to our family.”
Macy is the second generation of her family to rodeo, the sport introduced into the Hancock family by her dad, who came from Florida to rodeo on a scholarship at Hill College in Hillsboro, Texas. “I grew up doing rodeo, and it’s a great family sport, but I don’t make my kids do it,” says Shane. “My son, Dylan, rodeos and plays baseball, and Macy also does volleyball. But for rodeo, if we don’t practice, we don’t enter, so the kids have the responsibility of making their horses and practice important in their everyday schedule.” These horses include Ice Man, as well as Macy’s goat horse, Little Big Man, and her mount in the breakaway, Peso.
“I practice three or four times a week, and my dad comes out to coach me,” says Macy, who recently competed in the BBR Patriot Barrel Race held in Fort Worth, Texas. She’s also a member of the WTRA and the TYRA, and earned the Becky Jo Smith High Point All-Around Cowgirl award for accumulating 122 points during the 2015 AJRA finals.
The Hancock family makes their home outside of San Angelo, along with their horses, roping calves and steers, a cat, and three dogs, Cowboy, Hank, and Joe. Macy and her 12-year-old brother, Dylan, work side by side in the arena. Dylan competes in the AJRA, as well as the WTRA and TJHSRA in his events of breakaway roping, ribbon roping, tie-down roping, team roping, and goat tying. Their mom, Kim, grew up playing sports and showing cattle, and she’s added rodeo mom to her résumé.
When she’s away from her horses, Macy can be found at Potter’s Hand Christian School, where she’s a third grader and an A honor roll student. “My favorite subject is math, and I also play softball year round,” Macy explains. She’s a shortstop and second baseman for the West Texas Venom, while she also plays volleyball in the fall like her mom, who went to Hill College on a volleyball scholarship.
Already the owner of six saddles – one from last year in the AJRA, and four won through the WTRA, Cleburne Youth Rodeo Association, and the Pro Youth Association, Macy’s goal is to continue expanding her saddle collection. She hopes to advance into the professional ranks like her favorite barrel racing duo, 2014 World Champion Fallon Taylor and her horse Babyflo. “I really enjoy all my events, but I do want to learn to rope better,” says Macy. “When I get older, I want to go to college and play softball and rodeo, then follow my dreams to become a professional barrel racer.”