story by Ruth Nicolaus
Molly Paxton is the reigning Miss Nebraska High School Rodeo queen. The Mullen, Neb. cowgirl is seventeen years old and, in addition to being the current high school queen, competes in the barrel racing.
She rides a horse who was born a month after she was, on the family ranch 21 miles south of Mullen. Clutch, a bay gelding, is a ranch horse who is versatile not only at barrels but queening. “He’s pretty much a nice all-around ranch horse,” Molly said, “not a hot-headed barrel horse.” The two get along well, she said, mainly because they’re alike in many ways, including how calm they both are.
As a senior at Mullen High School, Molly’s favorite classes are her science classes. This year she’s taking physics and chemistry, and has taken every science class offered at her school. Her toughest class this year is calculus, and her easiest classes are science and English, both of which come easy to her.
She runs cross-country, and last year finished eighth in Class D at the state cross-country meet. She also runs track, and is the Class D two-mile state champion. At state last year, she finished as runner-up in the mile, and along with her fellow runners, finished seventh in the 3200m relay.
In school, she is the chapter vice-president of FCCLA and the National Honor Society. She’s also a member of FFA and involved in speech and one-acts.
Molly’s queening began when she realized she enjoyed two of the skills required of rodeo queens: horsemanship and public speaking. She was adept at the first skill, and because of her involvement in 4-H, she wasn’t scared of speaking in front of a crowd. A friend suggested she try out for the title of Miss Logan County (Stapleton) Rodeo Princess, so she did, winning the Princess title in 2015. The next year, she won the title of Miss Logan County Rodeo Queen.
Then, in 2017, she decided to try for Miss Teen Rodeo Nebraska. She didn’t expect to win, just wanted to see what the pageant was all about. But she won, and loves queening. “I love advocating for the sport, and it’s pretty fun,” she said. At the National High School Rodeo Queen pageant in June, she finished as third attendant. Running for Miss Rodeo Nebraska might be in her future in a few years.
Her favorite thing her mom makes is steak with a baked potato with sour cream and butter. She likes to wash it down with a Pepsi, and finish it with her favorite dessert: strawberry ice cream. Her favorite vegetables are cucumbers sprinkled with salt, and her favorite fruit is mangoes. She loves pink Starburst, and her favorite place to be is at home on the ranch.
For fun, she and her friends hang out, driving around Mullen and the area, and sometimes make the trip to North Platte, where they might catch a movie or get something to eat, like sushi, one of her favorites.
After high school, Molly hopes to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she will major in biology and pre-med, with the hope of becoming a doctor. She’s not sure what field she’d like to specialize in, but it might include pediatrics.
Molly has an older sister, Aubrea, who is married and has a two-year-old son, a younger brother, Eli, who is fourteen, and a younger sister, Peyton, who is twelve. Eli and Peyton both compete in rodeo. She is the daughter of Dusty and Mindy Paxton.
