by Lori Bizzell

Photos by Primo Morales Photography

At sixteen, Audrey moves with a composure often reserved for seasoned riders. She did not rush there. She has learned to tune into her horse, to the voices that matter, and to the quiet insights competition reveals when no one is looking. As a committed member of the Cavender’s team, she recognizes that what you bring to the arena weighs as much as what you do inside it.
Though Audrey lives in Oklahoma today, she grew up in Texas, and horses have been part of her life from the beginning. By age seven or eight, she was already showing cow horses at local cowboy competitions. One particular run stands out, not for a trophy, but for the clarity it provided.
This is it, she remembers thinking. This is what I love.
Today, Audrey competes in reined cow horse, reining, and barrel racing ~disciplines requiring feel, timing, and composure. However, when asked about her greatest challenge, she does not mention the run itself.
“It’s the waiting,” she says. “Sitting back there, listening to scores, counting riders. That’s the hardest part.”
Before she goes in, Audrey leans on routine. Music, especially Christian music, helps her settle her mind and refocus on what matters.
“It grounds me,” she explains. “It reminds me why I’m there.”
It’s not only the rhythm, but it’s also the truth in the words. It refocuses her spirit and brings her back to center. That grounding shapes her view of confidence ~it is humility and preparation. “You have to stay humble,” she says. “People remember how you treat them, not just how you place.”
Audrey’s horse, Shiny Little Rey “Rey-Rey”, is a seasoned quarter horse with cutting and reining bloodlines, never needing micromanagement. “He’s taught me to leave him alone,” she says. “He knows his job. I’m there to guide him, not control him.”
Audrey is more hands-on than people expect, often doing her own tuning and small adjustments, a skill she has developed over time, through practice and good instruction. “I can feel when something’s off,” she explains. “A shoulder leaning. A balance shift. Even if someone watching can’t see it.”
It is an intuitive skill. She considers it a blessing, and she has learned to trust it.
That trust extends to how she handles setbacks. She recalls a competition where a difficult cow kept her from a top finish. Though disappointed, what stayed with her was the encouragement of an older competitor, who reminded her that one run does not define a rider. “That meant more than winning,” Audrey says.
When frustration rises, Audrey resets the same way each time ~by riding. “I’ll just saddle up and walk him,” she says. “The arena, the pasture, anywhere. My mindset fixes itself pretty fast.”

 

 

Her achievements reflect her steady approach. Rather than seeking the spotlight, she has built a record of quiet excellence and reliability.
She earned the title of 2022 Reined Cow Horse World Champion, followed by a third-place finish in the World Youth Cow Horse standings in 2023. That same year, she claimed the UPRA Junior Barrel Racing Championship. In 2024, she placed third in Reined Cow Horse and went on to win the Wild Rag Classic Reined Cow Horse Circuit Championship. Her momentum continued in 2025 with a first-place finish at the Wild Rag Classic Reined Cow Horse, along with the title of SRCHA Youth Bridle Champion.
Audrey carries the Cavender’s name with intention. It means showing up as part of a team: how you treat people, handle pressure, and respond after a win. “It’s not just a sponsorship,” she says. “You’re part of a family, and you represent that everywhere you go.”
Criticism, when it comes, is filtered carefully. If it is untrue, she lets it pass. If it is worth learning from, she considers it. She does not let it define her. “There will always be people cheering for you,” she says. “And people against you. Sometimes, just because you won.”
Amid these experiences, another transition emerges. What matters most to Audrey is the reputation she is building. “When someone mentions my name,” she says, “I want them to say I’m kind, that I work hard, and that I treat everyone the same.”
For Audrey, responsibility means daily discipline. She chooses a strong mindset and a positive attitude, displaying quiet maturity that needs no announcement. Just as she rides by feel, she lives with purpose: attentive, grounded, and undistracted.
For a sixteen-year-old with steady hands, sure confidence, and a deep respect for her horse, the future is not rushed. It is steady.
And that may be her greatest strength of all.

 

Audrey’s Accolades

2022 Reined Cow Horse World Champion
2023 3rd in the World Youth Cow Horse
 
2023 UPRA Junior Barrel Racing Champion
2024 Reined Cow Horse: 3rd Place
2024 Wild Rag Classic Reined Cow Horse: Circuit Champion
2025 Wild Rag Classic Reined Cow Horse: 1st Place
2025 SRCHA Youth Bridle Champion