story by Ruth Nicolaus
Megan Yankee has made a horse’s life worthwhile. When she got her palomino mare, Lyra, for Christmas when she was eight, the horse would throw her off. People who saw Lyra said that she was worthless and the Yankee family shouldn’t keep her. But after a trainer worked with her, she quit bucking Megan off, and became her barrel racing, pole bending, and goat tying horse. People can’t believe the transformation Lyra has made, Megan said, and the two of them get along well.
Megan, a Junior Southern Rodeo Association member, competes in those three events and the breakaway roping, which she does on a horse borrowed from the Bass Family.
A resident of Taylorsville, N.C., she is an eighth grade student at West Alexander Middle School. She loves school, where she plays soccer and volleyball, does cheerleading, and is on the honor roll. Math is her favorite class. “I absolutely love math,” she declared, and she has a 97% grade in that class. Her favorite teacher is Mr. Howell, her sixth grade social studies teacher, because he teaches in fun, unusual ways.
For fun, Megan loves to hang out with her friends at the neighborhood tree house, where everybody gathers. She loves being with friends and almost always can be found with one, either at her house, their house, or the treehouse.
In first grade, Megan was diagnosed with dyslexia. Her mom, her role model, helped her adjust and adapt to it. She admires her mom a lot. “She’s a very strong, independent woman. She knows what I’m going through, and how to deal with it,” Megan said.
If Megan could plan the perfect day that didn’t involve horses or rodeo competition, it would be to play soccer and spend time at the tree house.
She loves listening to country music, especially Sam Hunt.
She has competed at the JSRA Finals twice: in the pole bending in 2014, and in all her events last year.
She has an older brother, Brian, who is 26. She is the daughter of Chris and Kristy Yankee.
