Emma on her paint horse rearing in a rain puddle at sunset
Small-town roots. Big rodeo dreams.

EMMA
GIBSON

Youth Barrel Racer & Pole Bender

Getting back up. Staying on. Winning.

Stevenson · Jackson County, AlabamaThe journey continues
2025 Barrels ChampionTri-State · 12 & Under
2025 Poles ChampionTri-State · 12 & Under
Alabama State QualifierAOHA · 2024
The girl behind the reins

A little grit.
A whole lot of heart.

Meet Emma Gibson, a young rider from Stevenson, Alabama, with a love for fast runs, good horses, and the people cheering her on.

What began as riding for therapy has grown into a passion for barrel racing and pole bending. With her grandfather Rip, local trainers, and her horse Sugar by her side, Emma is making every ride count.

Read her story in the Jackson County Sentinel
Emma proudly showing her two championship buckles
Two championships. One determined cowgirl.
In her element

Chasing the next great run.

Her accomplishments
Around the barrel
Around the barrel01
Emma & Sugar
Emma & Sugar02
Between the poles
Between the poles03
Heart in every stride
Heart in every stride04
More than a blue ribbon

The night she
got back up.

“Getting back up. Staying on. Winning.”

One night, another horse came underneath Emma’s horse from behind. She was thrown, her foot caught in the stirrup. Her horse stepped on her and dragged her more than 50 yards.

It was a frightening fall. But that wasn’t where her story ended. Emma got up, got back in the saddle, and went on to win first place that same night.

That’s the heart behind every run: courage, determination, and a young rider who refuses to let one hard moment define her journey.