The already adventurous kindergartner too young and small for the monkey bars found her way there only to fall from the top and suffer a near life ending brain injury. Everyone had counted Mckinzie out for living and even more for being able to have
a normal life had she survived. This was the first of what will be many things Mckinzie would show that she wasn’t out unless she decided so. Making n
othing less than a miraculous full recovery Mckinzie never lost her spirit for adventure or gained any fear for climbing to the top. Watching Olympic Equestrian Team Eventing on TV at age 7 Mckinzie had found something to focus her laser determination on; horses and competition. By the age of 8 Mckinzie had been making her own jumps and obstacles to press her poor little pony through as her parents could only watch this inspired young girl work both animal and girl to a lather. As supportive parents do they put little Mckinzie in lessons to help her gain knowledge and indulge her never ending passion for winning. By the time Mckinzie was 11 the demand for her to have access to more horses, space, and trainers had pushed her parents to buy a 26 acre horse farm in Ashland Oregon. Even with access to over 40 horses Mckinzie had the burning desire to have her “own” jumping horse. With money earned from doing anything around the farm for whoever would pay, Mckinzie had enough to buy her first horse at the age of 13. The same year Mckinzie met David Acord the renowned Olympic Equestrian Event Trainer. By the age of 15 Mckinzie had moved to San Ramon California to begin training for the Olympics. At 16 Mckinzie suffered back to back injuries first from a severe laceration and subsequent torn bicep when a training horse stepped on her to a fall on a cross country course that left her mentally and physically broken just prior to the Olympic qualifying trials. With her heart in her hands and her dreams
seemingly crushed she limped back home to Ashland to complete High School and contemplate life. Mckinzie the always inspired and driven focused her energies on working and training other peoples horses. She put her efforts in to school and even took night classes to occupy the empty space that the quest for the Olympics had left. Without even noticing Mckinzie had gained enough credits to graduate
High School early. Mckinzie now 18 sold her horse and enrolled in the local college to further her education and find a career. During college Mckinzie could never kick the horse habits and began to run in local Rodeo and Barrel Racing with a group of girls from High School on a horse she acquired from her
training services. Once again the bug had bit her and Mckinzie found something that not only she loved
doing and barrel racing was something she seemed meant to do more than the English Equestrian Eventing she had been formally trained for. The global economic downturn hit her parents hard and as many felt the crunch, her parents lost the proverbial farm and Mckinzie had to sell her horse to make ends meet and stay in college. Mckinzie put herself through college and began her career as a medical assistant/phlebotomist. Now earning a decent living and using the skills and degree she had earned the fire inside was now burning greater than ever and Mckinzie couldn’t find satisfaction in what most people would consider a good career and life. Mckinzie at age 20 with a $300 paycheck in her hands and old pickup truck began to do what she knew best and started shopping for a horse. As luck would have it Mckinzie found someone to take her money and her truck in trade for a racing Quarter Horse. Mckinzie had finally found someone as stubborn and determined as she was in this horse. Mckinzie met her match in the horse called “Cali”, short for Caliente (Spanish for hot). Now stuck together Mckinzie had a horse that no one else wanted and she had to work with if she wanted to stay in the game. With pure determination and perseverance Mckinzie and Cali started to come together as a team and they advanced in the extremely competitive barrel racing circuit in Oregon. All of McKenzie’s formal training and patience began to pay off as she became proficient at barrel racing as she dissected the science along with the nuances to be a winner; the horse is important however not as important as the mind that controls the beast. Now with a reignited fire and a clear vision of what to do Mckinzie at the age of 22 delivered her 2 week notice and decided to put all her efforts into barrel racing. She wasn’t quitting work with reckless abandon. Mckinzie had decided to go where the center of the barrel racing universe was in Oregon; Central Oregon. Mckinzie searched the want ads and Craigs List and found a place for her and her horses as well as gainful employment with the largest medical group in the area. Without fear and driven by the desire to be a winner Mckinzie moved to the Sisters Oregon area with her horses not knowing a person or anything other than it’s the place to be to be a barrel racer. The first few frigid cold high desert months were more than tough and lean and there were no victories to lift the spirits. These trials only made Mckinzie more determined to reach her goals as she plied herself further and further towards her
dreams of winning. And sure as the sun rises every day McKenzie’s faith began to overcome the setbacks of change and the winning soon began again. Both little and large events were falling to McKenzie’s relentless efforts. In the spring of 2014 when Mckinzie announced to her “friends” and acquaintances that she was
considering going pro as expected from those who only strive for ordinary there wasn’t very much support. This of course only told Mckinzie that it was the right choice and the time was now to take the next step. Now Mckinzie is ready for the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association World Championship Barrel Racing and welcomes your opportunity to share the ride with your sponsorship and support.
