- April 25, 2024
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Michelle Silcox did not rope the calf but she was proud of her horse Moon for doing a good job. It was the pairs first time breakaway roping. Photo by Michele Meyers
Michelle Silcox and her horse Moon try breakaway roping for the first time at the 66th annual Cracker Day. Photo by Michele Meyers
Michelle Silcox tries chute doggin' for the second time at the 66th annual Cracker Day. Photo by Michele Meyers
Steer wrestler Michelle Silcox is surprised she wrestled the cow to the ground at the 66th annual Cracker Day. Photo by Michele Meyers
Michelle Silcox leads her cousin Gracie Silcox on Moon in the barrel race at the 66th annual Cracker Day. Photo by Michele Meyers
Michelle Silcox rides Moon in the barrel race at the 66th annual Cracker Day. Photo by Michele Meyers
Barrel racer Michelle Silcox yells after she and Moon knock over the last barrel which adds five seconds to her time. Photo by Michele Meyers
Horse power or horsepower? It is tough for barrel racer Michelle Silcox to choose.
With a mom who was a barrel racer who operated a horse rescue, along with a dad who is a mechanic, owns his own automotive shop and is a drag racer, it is no surprise that Silcox is passionate about both.
As the proud owner of three horses and three Mustangs, she can be found either at a local rodeo or the Orlando Speed World test driving one of her cars.
“My husband likes his horsepower in cars, and I like my horsepower in horses,” mom Melinda Silcox said. “Putting them both together is kind of a little dangerous. When Michelle rides her horses, she says she lives her life 16 seconds at a time, and when she drives her race car, she says she lives her life a quarter mile at a time.”
...When Michelle rides her horses, she says she lives her life 16 seconds at a time and when she drives her race car she says she lives her life a quarter mile at a time. - Melinda Silcox, Michelle's mom
Silcox was raised on a 2-acre property in Bunnell that her parents have owned for 23 years.
When Michelle Silcox was 2 months old, her mom began taking the infant along on horseback rides, and by the time she was 2 years old, she began riding on her own after she told her mom she could do it.
“She was born that way,” Melinda said. “Nothing in life can bring that child down.”
Silcox was 9 when her mom gave her one of her rescue horses, and she began practicing barrel racing in her backyard.
“I learned barrel racing on a rescue horse, with two lawn chairs and a cone in my backyard,” she said. “Cali was my heart horse. She completely started the obsession.”
She began barrel racing competitively 10 years ago with the Flagler County Rough Riders, who state online that their mission is to “help members and their families in the areas of equestrian competition and encourage good sportsmanship.”
Silcox set her goal to earn a Grand Champion belt buckle by the age of 23. Last year, she reached her goal at the age of 19.
Silcox recently participated in the Cracker Day Rough Riders games and rodeo. She competed in chute dogging — a form of steer wrestling — breakaway roping, poles, Texas weaves, slingshot and barrel racing. It was her second time wrestling a steer, which she had gotten into because there were not enough participants, and her first time roping, which she had never done with a live cow.
“Poor Moon was terrified of cows,” Melinda said. “But when Michelle entered the arena, she was like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to do my job.’ As soon as Michelle calmed down, Moon calmed down. This horse came straight off the track in Ocala. She was a racing horse.”
Currently, Michelle Silcox works five days a week at RideNow Powersports in Daytona Beach, rides five days a week, splits the livestock responsibility with her mom and trains in a variety of equestrian sports. Her dad, Ralph Silcox Jr., also taught her how to work on her own cars, so she gets phone calls from her friends at all hours asking for her mechanical expertise.
“It’s a lot of things,” she said. “It’s hard to find people that can keep up with me.”
Silcox would like to be a professional barrel racer and is interested in attending college for the sport.
She is looking at a rodeo college in Texas. Her parents have always taught her to follow her dreams and believe anything is possible.
“Your dreams are not going to chase you; you need to chase your dreams,” Melinda Silcox said.
In May, Michelle is picking up her next challenge — a $125, untouched, wild mustang.
“Her grandmother and everybody says that she is a horse whisperer,” Melinda said. “A friend of ours told her to try to tame one of the wild mustangs. I asked her if she was going to take on the wild mustang, and she said she was going to try. Well, I guess I’ll start building fences.”
