Page 114 - Barrel Stallion Register 2016

PEYTON CROWDER
A 15-year-old who is home-schooled at Abeka Academy and lives in Fort Lupton, Colorado
by Tracy Gantz
As accomplished a barrel racer as Peyton
“The night before I was going to enter her for the very first time, which was November 2014, she got deathly sick with colitis,” said Peyton. “We rushed her to Littleton Large Animal and she stayed there for 12 days.”
Peyton did everything she could to help, but she was afraid the family might have to, “make that major decision which I didn’t want to think about.” Fortunately, Stylish proved to be a fighter. She returned home after her hospital stay and Peyton tirelessly nursed her back to health.
“In May 2015 I got to throw my leg over her, thanking God every day that I have her,” said Peyton. “I got to run her five times before I entered her in her first high school rodeo in August. By October, she had approximately 15 runs on her with $1,000 of winnings.”
Peyton’s love of animals extends beyond horses. With her brother’s help, she keeps a small herd of bucking bull stock.
“I enjoy watching my calves grow up and watching them in the bucking bull arena,” she said.
Peyton and Missy raise Miniature Australian Shepherds. They see that the puppies get excellent homes. Some compete in agility, some work cattle, and others have made good family dogs.
With her background, it comes as no surprise that Peyton wants to train and ride barrel horses professionally as a career. She has her sights set on the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
“Hopefully, I will come across that right horse that I have trained and taken to futurities that will bring me to the WNFR,” she said.
Peyton and her number one horse Mavericks Lil Badger at an RFD TV American qualifier in Buckeye, Arizona
Crowder is at just age 15, she quickly cred-
its her family and her horses for her success. “My whole family is pretty amazing,” said
Peyton. “I have always ridden nice Quarter Horses, thanks to my mom and dad.”
Mom and Dad are Missy and Robbie Crowder, both very successful in rodeo events. Missy is a barrel racer and Robbie is a team roper. Peyton’s brother, Wyatt, has been a team roper and now raises champion bucking bulls, including The Rocker, winner of the 2013 American Bucking Bull Inc. Classic at the
Peyton is training Freckles R Stylish in barrels, shown her competing in Burwell, Nebraska
Professional Bull Riders World Finals. Peyton’s aunt, Carol Crowder, is a barrel racer and trainer.
But, Peyton couldn’t have made it to the National Junior High School Finals Rodeo for three years running without her own talent and hard work. She has particularly bonded with a horse her aunt gave her, Mavericks Lil Badger, and Peyton is training another barrel horse herself, Freckles R Stylish. She also enjoys team roping and breakaway roping.
It’s a long way from when Peyton first began riding.
“Every horse I got on when I was a little girl, I either got bucked off or most of the time one of them could just simply jump sideways and I fell off,” Peyton said.
Missy and Robbie found an excellent babysitting horse named Bucky. Fortunately, Bucky derived his name from his color, not his attitude. He taught Peyton to stay on and learn to ride. Soon Peyton was ready for the next level.
“My Aunt Carol has been a big blessing
in giving me my step-up horse from Bucky, Maverick,” said Peyton. “Maverick is my number one horse today. When Maverick and I first met, it was a match made in heaven.”
Maverick took Peyton to the national finals and the two have won plenty of saddles, buckles, and cash. Last January, they went to Buckeye, Arizona, for their first American qualifier and missed the semi-finals by two-tenths of a second.
Peyton also has a couple of futurity horses, as well as Stylish, who gave the family a scare a year ago.
YOUTH INDUSTRY PROFILE
112 SPEEDHORSE
The Crowder Family