Missouri cowgirl bakes to fund her trick-riding ambitions

By Laura Handke, For Missouri Farmer Today
Mar 14, 2026
4 hrs ago

Sixteen-year-old Avery Smajstrla, who recently moved to Weston, Missouri, from Texas sells baked goods to maintain her horse and fund her trick-riding travel and costumes.
Photos courtesy of Becca Smajstrla

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By Laura Handke, For Missouri Farmer Today

In January, the Mark and Rebecca Smajstrla family loaded their livestock, their four daughters and their sense of adventure to make the trek north from Texas in an ice storm the state calls “historic.” Their new home in Weston, Missouri, was calling.

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