story by Kyle Eustice
Las Lunas, New Mexico native Payton McNiel has been around horses her entire life. Her grandfather, Danny McNiel, was a team roper when the now 13 year old was born. As soon as she was big enough to get on horse, she quickly fell in love with it, along with her older sister Hayley.
“My granddad used to walk us around when were really, really little,” recalled Payton. “I was maybe a year and a half the first time I sat in the saddle with him. He was a big influence.”
As an 8th grader at Valencia Middle School, her rodeo career is just getting started. Payton joined the NMJRHS when she was in 6th grade and has been going strong ever since. Although her little sister Cheyenne, 6, isn’t too interested in the sport (yet), Hayley is as enthralled with it as Payton is, making it easier to practice barrel racing and breakaway roping as a team.
“My grandparents have an arena at their house and we take a bus there every day after school,” said Payton. “Hayley and I practice together all the time. It’s really nice.”
While Payton plans on doing rodeo for years to come, she has other goals she’d like to accomplish, as well. “ I really like science,” said Payton. “I want to be a doctor one day. I like to help people in general. I feel bad if I don’t help them.”
Fortunately, Payton hasn’t been the one in need of help very often. She’s never been injured during a rodeo event, but she has split her head open on a teeter totter, which required her head to be glued together.
“I’ve never been injured too seriously,” said Payton. “I’ve had minor accidents, but nothing that bad.”
Payton currently loves running barrels. It really comes down to what her horse is willing (or not willing) to do. “I like working with barrel horses better than roping horses,” explained Payton. “Sometimes breakaway horses don’t want to back up and it’s gets annoying after a bit. All barrel horses have to do is turn in a circle, so it’s not that hard for them.”
Last year, Payton tied for first place in barrel racing at the NMJRHS, but she won the title in 2014, which made her very proud.
“It felt good because it was my first year and I was riding a newer horse,” said Payton. “Her name is Itchy. She has a pretty mane, but she rubs it on the fence. She lives up to her name.”
Rodeo and school aren’t the only things on her plate. She also plays volleyball on her junior high team, but at the end of the day, rodeo is something she wants to keep pursuing. “I like volleyball because you can have fun,” said Payton. “You can do that in rodeo, too, but you have to be more focused, otherwise you can get hurt.”
After 8th grade graduation, Payton is attending Valencia High School and plans on joining the NMHSRA, which she doesn’t think will be too much different from the NMJRHS.
“It might be a little harder, but I can watch my sister and she helps me,” said Payton. “As long as I keep being a good sport, cheering people on and staying motivated, it will be good. You might make a lot of mistakes, but you just have to move on. That’s the best way to get better.”
