At Midland, Michigan, Paisley Fix rides Jayda during the 13-and-under class division competition at the NRHA Liberty Derby in July 2025. Courtesy photo

Tyrone Area High School student Paisley Fix knows a thing or two about horses, although her first time on a pony brought her to tears, and not the joyful kind, her mom Stacy Fix said.

After being persuaded to sit astride the pony at a birthday party in Warriors Mark, Paisley quickly became fascinated with horses, so much so that she is now the Reserve World Champion in the National Reining Horse Association’s 13 and under division.

The recognition came at the end of last year’s competition circuit, after Paisley accumulated 132 points – nine points shy of the top spot – by placing high in countless events across the country.

Paisley is said to have “ice in her veins” when she competes, not letting nerves get in the way of her aspirations.

“It’s not just about riding horses,” Paisley said. “They make me happy and calm me whenever I’m feeling down.”

A likely pair

After her experience on the birthday party pony, Paisley begged her parents for riding lessons and started at Harmony Horsemanship Center in Sinking Valley, where she learned how to handle horses in a non-competitive environment.

Instructor Christine Wertz said Paisley was a “dedicated” rider from the beginning, connecting with each horse.

She really became hooked after attending a local horse show in Huntington, where she rode Chrome, a young and anxious horse who benefited from her calm energy, Wertz said. Paisley “enjoyed the challenge.”

At 8 years old, Paisley “showed a lot of promise and was really taking to (horseback riding),” Stacy said, adding that she had a conversation with her husband, Donald, about purchasing a show horse for Paisley.

Connecting with Brad and Shannon Quinlan-Hill of Performance Horses in Sharpsville, Paisley was introduced to Snap Krackle Spook, a red mare who became Paisley’s first show horse.

Snap was the “perfect first horse for Paisley,” Stacy said. “She has a great temperament; she’s spicy, but she’s taken such good care of Paisley and taught her so much.”

Paisley was also gifted horse training lessons in September 2022 with Suzanne Myers Performance Horses through the Wendy Reitz Memorial Fund. Every year, the fund supports one horse enthusiast who receives free horseback riding lessons to achieve their equestrian goals.

“That gift led to a part of Paisley’s life,” Stacy said. “I don’t know if we would have known about reining without that gift.”

Competing with Snap for a year, Paisley began to outgrow the mare, prompting a realization within her family that Paisley needed a “more athletic and more competitive” horse for the future.

Jayda, or Velvet Revolver, is a Quarter horse also purchased from Performance Horses in the fall of 2023, but she stayed in Sharpsville throughout 2024 for competition training.

Riding into the Sunshine State for the Florida Gulf Coast Circuit in January 2025, Paisley and Jadya competed together for the first time, and from that show, Paisley’s family and supporters knew “it was a good match.”

In the ring

In 2025, Paisley and Jayda competed in reining and ranch riding across the country, making stops in Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Florida and Texas.

Chasing a reining title, Paisley and her family decided to focus on riding during the latter half of the year, dedicating four or five days twice a month to competitions.

Some notable achievements include being named the reserve world champion in the Novice Youth Ranch Riding division in the American Paint Horse Association competition and making the top ten in the All American Quarter Horse Congress competition.

Participating in larger, more prestigious shows was nerve wracking, yet exciting, Paisley said, because “if you’re nervous the whole time, there’s a possibility you won’t do well.”

Meanwhile, she participated in the Interscholastic Equestrian Association team at Grier School, where she placed first for two years in a row in reining and horsemanship at regionals. Competing at the national competition in June at Fort Worth, Texas, she won a Reserve World Champion title in the Novice Youth 14-18 Ranch Riding Class.

It’s harder than it looks. Paisley’s coach and head coach for the Penn State Western Equestrian team and Grier School, Chris McElyea, said it’s a group effort preparing Paisley and Jayda for a title win.

While Jayda trained with Brad and Shannon Quinlan-Hill throughout 2025, McElyea and Paisley worked together three to four times a week, improving riding “fundamentals” such as riding style and maneuvers.

Paisley is a “pretty aggressive” competitor, he said, citing the “ice water in her veins” as “the best thing she’s got going for her.”

“If she makes a little mistake or step back, she doesn’t carry it with her,” he said. Her resilience is “her best quality that’s made her so successful.”

The National Reining Horse Association updates members on riders’ standings and results through its ReinerSuite platform, so Stacy said they watched Paisley’s overall placement move in real time. When Paisley started to show consistently in fall 2025, Stacy said Paisley began to climb through the ranks.

Getting the good news through an email received on Jan. 2, Paisley said, “coming out on top was really cool.”

“I’ve been wanting to do good all year long,” she said.

Well-rounded

Outside of horseback riding, Paisley plays softball for Tyrone Area, contributes to the school newspaper, The Eagle Eye, and enjoys photography, baking and fashion.

Journalism teacher Todd Cammarata described Paisley as a “conscientious student” who takes time out of her packed schedule to take sports pictures for the newspaper.

“She has a good eye,” he said. “She makes herself available when she can.”

Cammarata said well-rounded students like Paisley tend to excel in the future, as multiple interests teach young minds how to juggle.

Juggling leads to “lifelong success,” he said.

Horseback riding taught Paisley important lessons, such as being a good competitor, staying humble and promoting positivity in the ring.

Paisley learned how important a connection with a horse can be, as “she’s leaned on those principles of being a natural leader among her peers and teammates in the arena, softball field and classroom,” Stacy said.

While Paisley transitions into the Youth 14-18 division this year, she plans to focus on “quantity over quality,” competing in bigger shows while helping the Grier Equestrian team make nationals.

The 2025 competition year remains special to Paisley, however, as she met many riders and trainers across the nation, learning how to improve her skill sets little by little.

Even though they were strangers at first, she said they were “supportive of me and are taking the same path as me.”

The Fix file

Name: Paisley Fix

Parents: Donald and Stacy Fix

Age: 14

Education: Tyrone Area School District

Awards: NRHA Reserve World Champion, IEA Region 11 Champion, APHA Reserve World Champion and APHA Bronze World Champion

Hobbies: Horseback riding, basketball, softball, photography, baking and spending time with friends