story by Ruth Nicolaus
Mia Martin would rather be in Las Vegas for the first dozen days of December than at home in Sulphur, La. But the 16-year-old cowgirl has no choice: her parents, who will travel to the National Finals Rodeo to watch her uncle, Casey Martin, steer wrestle, won’t take her along, even though she begs to go.
She’s hoping next year, when she’s a senior, she’ll get the privilege of going to the NFR. But for now, she’ll watch her uncle on TV.
Mia is a breakaway roper in the Louisiana High School Rodeo Association, and for her event, she rides a 16-year-old sorrel named Tinker Belle. Tinker Belle was owned by her aunt, and when Mia first got her, she didn’t stop very well. But with some patient training, “she’s come a long way,” Mia says.
The junior at Sulphur High School enjoys her veterinarian assistant class the most of all her studies. It’s an ag class, where they spend their time helping out at a vet clinic a few miles from the school. Her least favorite class is pre-calculus, because “it’s confusing.” She loved Algebra II, but not this year’s math class.
Mia is a member of the FFA, 4-H, and Latin Club, where she is in her second year of study. She is on her school’s honor roll. For fun, she and her friends like to watch high school ball games and hang out at bonfires after the games. The bonfires might be in a friend’s backyard or in the pasture. Sometimes her friends bring guitars and they all sing along.
Mia qualified for state finals every year of her junior high and high school career. She often gets tips on horsemanship and riding from her Uncle Casey, a five-time National Finals qualifier.
After high school graduation, she might attend McNeese State University, where she will work on her pre-veterinarian classes and rope. After that, she may go to LSU to finish her veterinary science degree.
She has an older brother, Tristan (19), a younger brother, Preston, (4), and four sisters: Stitch (13), Bella (10), Alysa (8), and Timber (1).
She is the daughter of Stoney and Mandy Martin.
