Madilynn Gliege, 7, of Manteca will be participating in the first annual Give Every Child a Chance’s Ropin’ on the River Rodeo on Saturday, June 4.

She has entered in the Peewee Barrel Racing 12 years and under division. This will be her first competitive event. The second grader from New Haven Elementary School has had a love for horses all her life.

Since March, Gliege has been training diligently with guidance from her instructor Kristina Alexander who is the owner of All Star Training. Alexander has been a trainer, instructor, and competitor for over 20 years in Manteca.

“In all my years of teaching I have never had such a determined  7-year-old as Madilynn,” Alexander said. “Madilynn has been working very hard to be able to enter this rodeo and my advice to her is …. Don’t ride faster than your angel can fly.”

Gliege has 40 lessons under her belt.

“She still has much to learn, but she’s off to a great start and already possesses great horsemanship skills,” Alexander added.

The horse Gliege is riding, Breeze, is no stranger to barrel racing. This 19-year-old mare was 4th in the 1998 NBHA State Finals and 8th in the Nation for 1995 APHA Games, and is one of Alexander’s back up barrel racing horses.”