Amberley Snyder facts for kids

Amberley Snyder (born January 29, 1991) is an amazing American professional rodeo cowgirl. She is best known for her skills in barrel racing. Amberley also competed in other rodeo events like pole bending and breakaway roping. In 2010, she had a car accident that caused her to become paralyzed from the waist down. Even with this challenge, Amberley bravely continued to compete in rodeo. In 2015, she showed incredible skill by earning a special invitation to compete at The American Rodeo. Today, Amberley is also a popular motivational speaker, inspiring many people with her story.

Amberley Snyder's Early Life

Amberley Snyder was born on January 29, 1991, in California. Her parents are Tina and Cory Snyder. Amberley is the second oldest of her five siblings. Her brothers and sisters are Ashley, JC, Taylor, Aubrey, and Autumn.

Starting Her Rodeo Journey

Amberley first rode a horse when she was just three years old. She began competing in rodeo barrel racing at the age of seven. During her summers, she spent weekends barrel racing, pole bending, and breakaway roping.

In 2009, she won a big award. She became the All-Around Cowgirl World Champion. This was at the National Little Britches Rodeo Association. From 2009 to 2010, she was also the president of the Utah State FFA.

Overcoming a Challenge: Her Accident and Comeback

On January 10, 2010, Amberley was driving from Utah to a rodeo event. She was heading to the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado. After stopping for gas, she forgot to fasten her seat belt. Less than 10 miles later, she looked down at her map. Her truck drifted into another lane. She tried to correct it, but the truck slid off the road. It rolled over seven times.

Amberley was thrown from the truck. She hit a fence post, which injured her back. This injury caused her to become paralyzed from the waist down. It was a very difficult time.

However, Amberley did not give up. With a lot of hard work and physical therapy, she began to recover. She also used a special seat belt on her saddle. About a year and a half after her accident, she was able to ride horses and compete in rodeo again!

She later transferred from Snow College to Utah State University. There, she became the captain of the school's National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association team. In 2014, she also received the Shane Drury "Nothin' But Try" scholarship.

In 2015, Amberley got a special chance. Fans voted for her to compete in RFD-TV's The American Rodeo. This big event was held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. With her horse, Power, she finished her run in 15.3 seconds. This was only 0.6 seconds slower than the winning time. In 2016, she was among the top five in the Rocky Mountain Pro Rodeo Association. She also earned her Women's Professional Rodeo Association card that year. Now, she competes in the RAM Wilderness Circuit.

Inspiring Others: Amberley's Later Career

Today, Amberley Snyder is a powerful motivational speaker. She shares her story to inspire people around the world. She also posts a weekly video series called "Wheelchair Wednesday" on social media. In these videos, she shows how she handles everyday tasks. She explains how some things have become more challenging but are still possible. Amberley has also written a children's book. It is called Walk Ride Rodeo and is about overcoming difficulties.

Amberley's Story on Screen

Amberley Snyder's inspiring life story was made into a Netflix movie. The film is called Walk. Ride. Rodeo. and was released on March 8, 2019. Amberley herself performed all the horse stunts in the movie that happened after her accident. Her younger sister, Autumn, performed the stunts that happened before the accident. This was because their riding styles were very similar. Amberley also made a short appearance as herself in the third season of the TV show Yellowstone.