Featured Image: UTM Rodeo athlete Allie Maxwell competes with her horse Bailey at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. (Photo Credit / Black Lotus Photography)
Student-athletes come from across the United States to join the University of Tennessee at Martin rodeo team, but for Allie Maxwell, UTM Rodeo is a home-grown affair.
For Maxwell, a senior agricultural business major from Milan, Tennessee, her start in rodeo began with a push from her parents to be involved in some kind of activity. After trying several things, her mom suggested she begin taking horse-riding lessons. She started competing only a year later and hasn’t looked back since.
Maxwell’s rodeo experience led her to UT Martin, where she participated in rodeo events hosted at the university. According to Maxwell, the events at UT Martin not only allowed her to meet members of the rodeo community in Martin, but it also put the idea of being a collegiate rodeo student-athlete on her radar.
The combination of the rodeo program, her experiences in Martin and its proximity to her hometown made UT Martin the perfect choice to continue both her education and her rodeo career.
“I’ve known this place my whole life, and I know so many people up here, and it just felt like home,” said Maxwell. “It’s one of the only places that did.”
For any rodeo athlete, there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that keeps everything running smoothly and safely. For Maxwell and the other rodeo athletes at UT Martin, they have to balance their rodeo responsibilities with the already demanding responsibilities of a college student.
According to UTM Rodeo Head Coach Chase Thrasher, who is also a former UTM Rodeo athlete, people are not always aware of what being a rodeo student-athlete entails.
“I don’t think that a whole lot of people understand the responsibilities that rodeo athletes, especially at college rodeo, have to go through,” said Thrasher. “There’s just a lot more that goes into it than the general population understands.”
For Allie, one of the biggest responsibilities is ensuring the welfare of her horses.
“Probably the biggest thing that’s outside of normal school for us is we have to take care of our horses,” said Maxwell. “If we don’t have our horses, we obviously can’t compete. So we have to be able to take them to the vet to get their shoes done, to get all their feed and all their medicine, everything they need to be able to perform at their best level.”
Along with the extra work required of a rodeo student-athlete, Maxwell takes the time to ensure the success of her fellow teammates.
For Ryanne Frecker, a senior agricultural business major from Lizton, Indiana, and member of the rodeo team, Maxwell was a big part of her transition to Martin.
“I came in my freshman year with her, and we ended up in the same SOAR group together when we toured,” said Frecker. “She was the first girl I met in Martin…she kind of took me in under her wing. Now that we’re seniors, it’s kind of sad…it feels like it flew by, but also like we’ve gone through five lifetimes together.”
For Maxwell, being a part of UT Martin’s rodeo team is a full-circle moment.
“I’ve been coming to this rodeo since I was a little girl. Looking back now, I’m realizing little eight-year-old Allie would just be so thrilled to be here and be like ‘this is what we’re doing,’” said Maxwell. “It’s the legacy that comes with UTM Rodeo because it’s always been such a huge legacy in this part of the world, and it just means the world to be a part of that.”
