Six Mile, South Carolina, a community home to less than 1,000 people, is home to a special cowgirl named Emma Reynolds.
Currently in her senior year of high school, Emma finds a way to make the most of every day, finding the joy in life and working to make her dreams come true. A talented breakaway roper and goat tyer, she stays involved in her church and community while going down the rodeo road.
It’s a family endeavor with the Reynolds and for Emma, rodeo is deep in her blood — in fact, she went to her first rodeo at 3 weeks old. Her dad hauled stock to rodeos while also working as a bullfighter and rodeo clown. While her mother came from a ranch and rodeo background, she wasn’t initially active herself until she started dating her husband. Then, she began keeping time and serving as a secretary at rodeos.
Today, her mother serves as secretary for rodeos all over, including those sanctioned by the Southern Rodeo Association (SRA), the International Pro Rodeo Association (IPRA) and the Lonestar Rodeo Association. In addition, she timed the International Finals Rodeo (IFR) for the IPRA at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma this past year.
As a small child, Emma wasn’t as enamored with the rodeo world as her parents were. In fact, she tried every sport she came across from cheerleading to baseball but would never stick with anything. The rodeo bug caught up with her in 2018 when she got an older barrel horse, Snowman, and began running barrels and tying goats. As she was ramping up her involvement in these rodeo events through the Foothills Youth Rodeo Association, breakaway roping was becoming increasingly popular around the country. As she watched the older girls roping, she decided that she wanted to do it too. She was familiar with how to swing a rope and Snowman was broke enough that she could do most anything on him, so she started roping the sled and practicing. Before long, she was hooked.
Emma needed a step-up horse to take her roping to the next level and leaned on Bradley Boyd of Boyd Performance Horses in Kentucky to find her another treasure. That he did—her horse Blackie, whom she describes as the absolute perfect horse for her and the healthiest, best looking, now 23-year-old horse you’ve ever seen. Not only does Blackie take her right to where she needs to be to make the best shot, but he teaches her to rope better and takes care of her. When she isn’t breakaway roping, she is tying goats off of him. Stacy Martin of Next Level Goat Tying has been instrumental in her development as a goat tyer, although recent injuries have had her most focused on the breakaway.
While she appreciates the athleticism that goat tying takes, she loves the adrenaline and the pressure of breakaway roping. Some competitors wish the pressure didn’t exist, but for Emma, it enhances her game. As a testament to this, she and Blackie have already had some success on bigger stages, such as winning the average in the breakaway roping at the state finals.
Emma was also the High School Rodeo Nationals Goat Tying Champion in 2023 and she and Blackie got 3rd place and a $1,000 paycheck at the WCRA Youth Rodeo in Tryon, NC. She has qualified for the National Junior High Finals twice and the High School Finals 3 times, making her a 5-time national qualifier. At Nationals a few weeks ago, she finished 17th in the world in the breakaway roping. She’s involved in the rodeo world outside the arena too, currently serving as the NC High School Rodeo Student Body President. Even Blackie has earned a title, being named the NC High School Rodeo AQHA Horse of the Year for his outstanding performance.
Now in her Senior year of high school, Emma is competing in the Southern Rodeo Association (SRA) circuit and also has her sights set on college rodeoing as a two event athlete in the breakaway and goat tying. Academically, Emma dreams of studying to be a vet tech and earning a minor in business marketing. She’s worked toward this as well, shadowing at the local vet clinic and doing all she can to prepare herself to be a solid candidate.
During the week, she goes straight from school to work at the local feed store, then goes and gets her truck and trailer and drives to rope for a few hours before heading home. When not roping or working, she is involved in her church youth group and sings in the church choir.
Emma is so full of life and seems to balance it all with a smile. Her smile is also one of gratitude as she realizes how much the help and support of the people in her corner means to her. With the biggest thanks to her parents, she is also so grateful for Bryan and Holly Scruggs who let her keep her horse at their house and are always there for her, as well as Amanda and Nathan Hawkins for letting her go rope at their house, and of course Bradley Boyd of Boyd Performance Horses for bringing special horses into her life.
Last but certainly not least, her aunt and uncle and their children (her cousins) have been tremendously supportive and sponsored her journey up and down the rodeo road, helping fund opportunities she might not normally have. You may recognize the name of her cousin, Carson James of Carson James Horsemanship, but every member of the family has a vital role in that business and their second one, the “Netflix for Horse People,” Horse.TV.
Emma’s next chapter is sure to be bright, and a college rodeo team will be lucky to have her talent, devotion, and bright personality.
Photo credit to all respective photographers including Carli Elben imagery, Artistic Creations, and Jennings photography.
