Maizie Meech, with her No. 1 horse, will compete in rodeo for the New Mexico Junior College Thunderbirds.
Fort Macleod’s Maizie Meech has roped her longtime dream of competing on a U.S. college rodeo team.
The F.P. Walshe school grad, who turns 18 next month, will compete in breakaway roping and goat tying for the New Mexico Junior College Thunderbirds.
A multi sport athlete, Maizie has long had a goal of competing collegiately in the United States.
“Whether it was in hockey or rodeo, my goal was to attend a college in the States, on a scholarship,” Maizie said.
Maizie reached out to several colleges in warm weather states and had phone or Facetime conversations with the rodeo coaches.
Following the interviews, Maizie sent her “sizzle reel” or highlight video to the schools that seemed the best fit.
“From there it was up to the coaches if they had a spot for me or not. Luckily, my No. 1 school offered me a scholarship to rodeo for them.”
Maizie attracted interest from Colorado Mesa University and Sheridan College but chose to sign with New Mexico Junior College.
Maizie has been going down the road for nearly half her life, attending her first rodeo at the age of 10 just one week after getting her first horse, Fancy.
“I thought rodeo was cool — something different,” she explained.
Maizie was a multi-sport athlete at F.P. Walshe school, competing in volleyball, basketball and rodeo. In her Grade 11 year, Maizie received the Danny Paskal Memorial Award as the school’s top female athlete.
Maizie capped her hockey career with three seasons with the Lethbridge-based Southern Express of the Alberta Female Hockey League, playing one season of U15 and two seasons at the U18 level.
Although she was a strong competitor in all her chosen sports, rodeo was No. 1 in her heart.
“The commitment my family and I made to the horses wasn’t something I was willing to ever walk away from,” Maizie explained. “My horses are the reason I chose rodeo over everything else.”
In six seasons of high school rodeo Maizie qualified for the Alberta High School Rodeo Finals four times.
In addition to competing on the high school circuit, Maizie competes in the Chinook, Southern Circut, and Pincher Nites rodeo circuits.
While at New Mexico Junior College, Maizie will study equine industry, with a focus on equine anatomy.
“I’d like to have my own mobile equine chiropractic and dental practice,” Maizie said of her career goals.
Although attending college as a rodeo athlete, academics will come first for the Fort Macleod woman.
“My most important goal is being a successful student — the rodeo is a bonus. My goal there is to become more consistent and further develop my horses.
That chance to develop as a rodeo athlete through consistent, high level coaching and consistent practices is what excites Maizie most about heading to New Mexico Junior College.
“My folks and I visited the campus and the coaches last spring,” Maizie said. “The college has an incredibly successful athletics program, with state of the art practice facilities. Their golf facility is amazing.”
She explained that a local resident of Hobbs, New Mexico donated his oil rights to the school so there is lots of new building and development and constant improvement in the college facilities.
Maizie will live in an apartment on campus and her horses will stay on campus as well in covered pens.
New Mexico Junior College is about four miles from the Texas border, and the Lone Star State is where most of her rodeos will happen.
Joining Maizie in the college ranks are her No. 1 horse Hunny and a young mare named Joan.
“Hunny is my main girl. She’s a seven-year-old buckskin we bought off a local fellow. She was never trained in any discipline but was a quick learner. I trained her myself with some help from some rodeo friends and now she’s an honest, level-headed, hard-working, all-around horse. She’s a character and I just love her.”
Joan is a three-year-old red roan the Meech family bought off a feedlot who Maizie calls an up-and-comer.
“She’s young, full of sass and is constantly pushing the limits to see what she can get away with. She’s got a lot to learn but she has the brains to do it. I can’t wait to see her talent in a couple years.”
Fancy, now 28, and 27-year-old Gem are what Maizie calls her “Golden Girls” who got her started in rodeo.
“Fancy was my first horse and Gem was loaned to us when Fancy was hurt, and she never went home. They are the reason I fell in love with horses and the lifestyle. They now fill their days retired and grazing the pasture.”
Maizie has had plenty of human support in her rodeo career from her family, friends and extended rodeo family.
Maizie Meech is filled with anticipation as she prepared to head south to New Mexico this fall.
“Honestly, I’ve been waiting for this moment for years. I always knew I wanted to head south after high school, but now that it’s here, I’m thinking I may just miss this place, and I know I’ll miss everyone — but I’m ready to go.”
