story by Riata Cummings
Maddison Rogers is a rodeo athlete and senior at Fremont High School. Maddison enjoys her jewelry making class where she can express her creativity and practice her beadwork, and she also thrives in her history and English classes. After graduation, Maddison hopes to attend Utah State University and study business.
Maddison is the daughter of Ryan and Emily Rogers of West Haven, Utah, and she enjoys that the community provides the conveniences of a city but the freedom of rural life. Maddison’s siblings include Taylor, Rylee and his wife Hadley, and Rowdy. Together the family enjoys supporting the Utah Jazz and spending time in the arena. “We practice most nights. Rodeo just dominates our life, and we love it that way.”
Maddison was introduced to rodeo by her family. When her grandfather, Earl Rogers, was serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he had a companion who introduced him to the sport. He then raised Maddison’s father roping and riding, and she was raised much the same way. “When I was 3 or 4-years-old I started trotting through the barrels at the local rodeos. Even though I tried other sports like basketball, dance and tumbling, I just fell in love with rodeo.”
Maddison now competes in the barrel racing and breakaway roping through the Utah High School Rodeo Association. She especially loves the breakaway roping. “It’s an event where I can always work to be better. Sometimes barrel racing you are limited by your horse’s ability or speed, but in breakaway there is more responsibility on the rider, and you can come succeed as long as you work hard enough.” Maddison also loves that breakaway roping is becoming more popular and the competition is getting stronger.
Maddison’s rodeo horses are J.P., an 8-year-old barrel racing gelding her, and her sister have trained, and Socks, a sure and steady 18-year-old gelding she uses for breakaway roping. She also breakaway ropes on horses that her father and brother are training to be calf horses. Maddison takes pride in the work she has put into her horses. Socks was previously Taylor’s breakaway horse, but an injury took him out of the arena for a few years. Maddison has been working to get him back into competition shape while also training and bringing along J.P.
Maddison and her horses have qualified for the state finals rodeo every year of junior high and high school rodeo, and she has also qualified for the Silver State International Rodeo. This year she would love to qualify for the National High School Finals Rodeo. She also recently bought her WPRA membership and hopes to qualify for the Wilderness Circuit Finals in the barrel racing and breakaway roping.
One of Maddison’s role models is Jackie Hobbs Crawford, whom she looks up to as an example of great roping ability and strong character. “We all got to witness how great she is when she put the world title on the line for the sake of honesty.” One of Maddison’s greatest strengths is her willingness to work hard. “Rodeo is an individual sport, and you get out what you put into it. If you work hard in honesty and remain humble, you will see it pay off.” Maddison would like to leave of legacy of “hard work and kindness. No matter what, I want people to know that I try my best to be a friend to all and to be kind above everything.”
Maddison would like to thank her parents for their support of her rodeo dreams. “My dad has been the best coach and has helped me so much, and my mom has been the rodeo club secretary for the past couple of years, helping me and so many other kids.” She would also like to thank her siblings for pushing her to be her best and her grandparents for cheering her on with every turn and loop. “My family is truly the reason that I am able to rodeo and succeed. I couldn’t do any of it without them.”
