Amberley Snyder
Amberley Snyder is a former rodeo competitor, having competed in barrel racing, pole bending, breakaway roping, and goat tying. In 2009, she qualified for the National High School Finals in pole bending and won the National Little Britches Rodeo Association All-Around Cowgirl World Championship.
On January 10, 2010, her life changed when she was on her way to the Denver Stock Show and Rodeo. She had glanced down at her map and seconds later looked up and realized she had moved into the other lane. She overcorrected, slid off the road and rolled her vehicle. She was ejected from her vehicle and slammed into a fence post that broke her back. After five hours of surgery, the doctor told her she would never regain the use or feeling below her waist. If she had worn a seat belt, she would have been able to still use her legs.
Amberley’s priority was to get back on her horses and four months later she was able to do just that. In 2015, she competed at a high level when she won a fan exemption to compete in RFD-TV’s the American Rodeo in Arlington, Texas. Her time of 15.3 seconds was only 0.6 seconds slower than the winning time. In 2016, she was in the top 5 for the Rocky Mountain Pro Rodeo Association. In 2016, she won her Women’s Professional Rodeo Association card and competes in the RAM Wilderness Circuit.
Although she was still able to compete, she realized she could inspire people to complete daily tasks and set and achieve goals. She is a popular motivational speaker and has over 200,000 fans who follow her “Wheelchair Wednesday” videos on social media.
Amberley has written Walk Ride Rodeo, a children’s book about overcoming adversity. Her story was portrayed in a biopic on Netflix entitled "Walk, Ride, Rodeo."
Amberley earned a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Education in 2015. In 2018, she earned her master’s degree in School Counseling from Utah State University.
She was born on January 29, 1991, in Southern California to Tina and Cory Snyder. She began riding a horse at the age of three and then competing in barrel racing when she was seven. In addition to competing, Amberley was the 2009–2010 Utah State FFA president.
She is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
