Marsh Valley’s Tietsie Fly Overcomes Loss and Health Challenges on Path to District 4 Rodeo Queen Title
McCammon — For most high school students, balancing academics and one sport is challenge enough. For Marsh Valley High School’s Tietsie Fly, that balancing act involves four sports, seven rodeo events, a rare inherited blood disorder in the family, and the grief of losing her most trusted competition partner — all before earning the title of District 4 Rodeo Queen.
Tietsie competes in basketball, volleyball, and golf for Marsh Valley while simultaneously competing in rodeo, where she takes part in barrel racing, cow cutting, reining cow horses, light rifle, pole bending, breakaway, and the queening competition. She also participates in an annual boxing fundraiser at her school. The load is heavy, she acknowledges, but she has no desire to cut it back.
“I’ve rodeoed my whole life,” Tietsie said in remarks reported by a local sports outlet. “I started riding when I was tiny, and I’ve grown to love the sport.”
A Heartbreaking Loss — and a Path Forward
For the first time in her life, Tietsie came close to stepping away from rodeo earlier this year. In January, her horse Kicking Bird — her longtime riding partner and companion — died. The loss hit hard.
“That really put — I kind of froze for a moment,” Tietsie said of learning her horse was gone.
She described the deep bond she had built with Kicking Bird over years of competition together. Even with other horses available to her family, the absence of that particular animal temporarily dimmed her enthusiasm for the sport she calls her safe place.
The turning point came when a family friend offered to sell Tietsie and her mother, Mackenzie Fly, a new horse. The transition has not been seamless — bonding with a new animal takes time — but Tietsie’s passion has returned.
“It’s been a struggle, it really has. But we’re finally getting with each other,” she said of her new horse.
A Family That Doesn’t Back Down
The Fly family’s relationship with adversity runs deeper than one difficult winter. Mackenzie Fly, Tietsie’s mother, was born with Von Willebrand disease — a rare blood clotting disorder that prevents the body from controlling bleeding naturally. The condition has had serious consequences for Mackenzie over the years, including the amputation of two fingers. All of the Fly children inherited the condition.
Mackenzie herself competed in rodeo at a high level, earning a scholarship to Southern Utah University and eventually a professional card in barrel racing — all while managing the disorder. That same spirit has carried over to how she raises her children.
“We have to be pretty vigilant about rodeo and things like that, because the bumps and bruises that don’t normally hurt a ‘normal person’ could end up killing us,” Mackenzie said.
Even so, Mackenzie has never restricted her children from pursuing the activities they love. The family takes precautions — including IV treatments before major sporting events and daily medication to assist with clotting — but Tietsie says her mother’s preparation has made living a full athletic life possible.
“My mom has always had it taken care of for us,” Tietsie said. “It’s not really something that is my biggest worry.”
Mackenzie put it plainly: “What is life if you’re not living it? You can get hurt just as easy tripping in your house and hitting your head.”
Rodeo Queen Duties Open New Doors
Earning the District 4 Rodeo Queen title has pushed Tietsie into territory that once felt uncomfortable: public speaking. As queen, she is expected to introduce audiences to the sport of rodeo and its many events — a role that has forced her to work past a longtime personal challenge.
She has also used the platform to raise awareness about Von Willebrand disease, turning a family medical reality into a message she carries with her into every arena.
“I’ve always loved queening; it’s helped me a lot in my life,” she said.
Watching her daughter grow through the responsibilities of the title has been a source of deep pride for Mackenzie. East Idaho has no shortage of hardworking young athletes — a point underscored by community efforts like a Bonneville County elementary school currently raising funds for a fourth-grader battling aggressive brain cancer — but Tietsie Fly’s story stands out for its combination of athletic commitment, family resilience, and genuine love for a way of life rooted in the ranching traditions of Southeast Idaho.
What Comes Next
Tietsie will continue her duties as District 4 Rodeo Queen through the competition season, representing the region at rodeo events across the area. She will also continue competing across her four sports at Marsh Valley High School while working to deepen her connection with her new horse. For the Fly family, the next chapter looks much like every other — full of activity, full of preparation, and full of the kind of determination that doesn’t wait for ideal conditions.