Barrel Racer. Rodeo Cowgirl. Competitor.
1943-2024
Donna Shiller was active in rodeo across eight decades. While she was born into a Texas rodeo family, the determination, devotion, and will to win she possessed was all her own.
Rodeo was all around Donna when she was growing up. Her grandfather, Tom Carson, operated an arena just off South Congress in Austin during the 1950s. Her dad, Cecil Hill, was a rodeo producer, and the family operated Hill’s Arena in Oak Hill (now part of southwest Austin) for twenty years starting in 1957. The weekly buck-outs, practice ropings, and the rodeos hosted at the arena were a family affair for Donna, brother Alford, and mother Maxine. Donna fell in love with horses and competing.
As a cowgirl, Donna qualified for and competed at the 1961 National High School Rodeo Finals in Douglas, Wyoming. In 1963, she qualified for the National Finals Rodeo. Despite not competing at that year’s NFR, she finished 14th in the year-end standings. Then in 1964, she competed at the NFR in Dallas.
Donna was part of the pageantry that spectators love when they attend rodeos. She carried flags at rodeos produced by Tommy Steiner and posted the colors with her mom at rodeos produced by her dad. But when the grand entry was over, Donna was looking to win.
Donna married cowboy and livestock man Don Shiller in 1965, and their daughter, Dawn, was born in 1968. They were active rodeo parents, hauling Dawn to youth and high school rodeos across the state. Don and Donna spent most of their married life in Taylor, Texas, where Don owned and operated the Taylor Livestock Auction. Barrel racing remained Donna’s passion.
Over the decades, Donna won more than a dozen saddles on multiple barrel horses. Each horse was an important part of her life. Donna rode “Tiny” early in her career, and they qualified for both the High School and National Finals together. She trained her horse “Happy,” who she rode to numerous wins and the 1972 TRA Finals. You will still hear people talk about Donna and her horse, “Candy,” as they were always a threat at Open rodeos in the 1970s and ‘80s. When Donna bought Candy from mentor Wanda Bush, the black mare had only been on barrels for six weeks and never been in a trailer. Donna then went on to raise and compete on Candy’s foal, “Faith.” “Scout” was an important horse as Donna transitioned to Senior Pro rodeos.
If you ever saw Donna Shiller riding down the alley with her hat pulled down tightly, you saw the look of sheer determination. Donna was grateful for the joy and the relationships a life in rodeo gave her.
Rodeo Highlights:
*As Donna Mullins.
