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‘Yellowstone’ Season 3 Finale: Who is Amberley Snyder? Meet the paralyzed Utah barrel racer who inspired Jimmy

To inspire Jimmy, Mia pointed to Amberley Snyder. 'She is paralyzed from her waist down and she has whipped me more times than I can remember'

Life is full of miracles. The last episode titled ‘The World Is Purple’ in ‘Yellowstone’ Season 3 sheds light on one such moment when Mia (Eden Brolin) motivates Jimmy Hurdstrom (Jefferson White) to not give up on his dreams. “When I saw you rodeo, I saw a really happy man — and I fell in love with him,” she said. “Be that man, and you can have me. But be this one, and I’ll see ya later.”

To inspire him, she pointed to Amberley Snyder. “She is paralyzed from her waist down, and she has whipped me more times than I can remember.” Right at that moment, the Utah barrel racer, sporting her signature braid, got onto her horse and rode like the wind. Did you know Snyder is a real barrel racer? Born on January 29, 1991, she is the second-oldest of her five siblings raised in California by parents Tina and Cory Snyder.

A magical tale of determination, the 29-year-old's story will charm you to no limits. It was almost like she was born to ride. She was barely three when she would point to a horse and say, “Me ride,” as per a New Mobility report. Looking at her enthusiasm, her family found a place that would let the 3-year-old ride. At 7, she began competing in rodeo barrel racing and winning buckles. Soon after, she got her own Palomino barrel horse. Her mother Tina told the outlet, “She had such God-given talent and balance, she competed bareback until she was in high school.”

On long summer weekends, she would practice barrel racing, pole bending and breakaway roping. In 2009, she won the 2009 All-Around Cowgirl World Championship in the National Little Britches Rodeo Association and was soon crowned the 2009–2010 Utah State FFA President. Tragedy struck in 2010 when she was driving from Utah to the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado and had a major car crash after she forgot to fasten her seat belt after a gas station stop in Rawlins, Wyoming.

She flew through the air and found herself wrapped around a fence post. The crash crushed her T-12 vertebra and left her paralyzed from the waist down. Tears rolled down her cheeks when paramedics told her, “If you’d had your seatbelt on, you’d have your legs.”

Looking back at the devastating incident, Snyder confessed, “I told my mom this one mistake has cost me my whole life.” Her mom replied at that time, “We can’t go back. Your legs are still attached. We’re just going to work on it from here.” However, she rewrote her fate with incredible determination and will power. Seeking help through physical therapy, she got a seat belt attached on her saddle and got back to riding and competing in rodeo a year and a half later. “When I’m on my horse, I can leave my wheelchair at the trailer and I am free,” she said. “It’s a moment of complete happiness.” 

In 2015, Amberley competed in RFD-TV's The American Rodeo at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and was just 0.6 seconds short that the winning time. A year later, she secured a spot in the top 5 for the Rocky Mountain Pro Rodeo Association and won her Women's Professional Rodeo Association card in 2016. Currently, she not only competes in the RAM Wilderness Circuit but is also a motivational speaker and inspires millions with her weekly "Wheelchair Wednesday" video on social media.

Hinting at her ‘Yellowstone’ cameo, she posted on Facebook back in 2019: "Power and I had the amazing opportunity to play ourselves in an episode for next season!"

She even went on to share a snippet from the series on her Instagram page with the caption: "So honored to be on the iconic tv series Yellowstone!! And check out my brother lifting me on and Sita holding Power 🖤... and my cute nephew giggling in the background sounds!" Many fans were taken aback. One commented on her video, "My heart started racing when I saw this! I was like wait a minute, that's Amberley! 👏 So awesome!" Another said, "I totally screamed at the TV when I saw you saying “omg mom look who it is”!! 

There was quite a lot of buzz on Twitter too. "I LOVE how @Yellowstone showcases actual riders and people in the rodeo industry, Amberley Snyder is no exception," one tweet read and another said, "How cool to see Amberley Snyder in that finale episode!" Another fan wrote: "Amberley Snyder was in Yellowstone and I almost crapped a Twinkie."

Well, she's not the only real rodeo athlete to be featured on this season. Did you catch bareback riders Tilden Hooper and Rocker Steiner and steer wrestler Sid Steiner when they made appearances on the Paramount Network show?

Well, it's great that the makers are bringing real cowboys and cowgirls for a dose of inspiration. Although there is no fixed date, the next season of ‘Yellowstone’ is expected to hit the screens in 2021.