Ellexx� Maxwell

Ohio competitor says horse world is like family and each show feels like a reunion

To 22-year-old Ellexxah Maxwell, of West Mansfield, Ohio, the horse world is family and every time she goes to a show it’s like a family reunion.

With parents (Brent and Melissa Maxwell) who have been involved with horses since Ellexxah was born, she really grew up in the industry. And she’s had more than her share of success in the show arena. But these days, her goal is just to have fun.

“I’ve been learning new events and really just starting to go show with no real goal set in mind,” she explained. “I have a passion for the horse and for the industry. We might be working but there is always fun to be had at a horse show and that’s what makes it such a big draw for so many.”

But that’s not always been the case. Ellexxah started showing Lead Line at the age of 2. From 2004 to 2011 she showed The Cookie Baker in Small Fry events and also had the opportunity to show many horses owned by the clients of her parents.

From 2011 to 2020 Ellexxah’s show partner was Zips Bossy Chip, a bay mare sired by UK Mito Boss out of Susies Fancy Chip. Together they earned six American

Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) All-Around Youth titles; two National Snaffle Bit Association (NSBA) World Championships; three AQHA Reserve World Championships; two NSBA Reserve World Championships and six Quarter Horse Congress Championships. They are the AQHA all- time highest point earning youth and overall horse with 20-plus year end national titles.

Earning the honor of being the AQHA all-time highest point earning youth with Zips Bossy Chip was really special to Ellexxah.

“I can’t even describe the feeling,” she said. “The record holder before was Harley D Zip, a horse that was my idol growing up. I remember how excited I was at the (AQHA) Youth World Show one year after he’d won the Western Riding that I got to pet him. I couldn’t stop talking about it for weeks.”

From 2019 to 2022 Maxwell showed Best Cowboy Around, a chestnut gelding by How Bout This Cowboy and out of Only The Best Chocolate in AQHA all-around events, earning the 2021 AQHA All-Around Amateur title and the 2021 High-Point Amateur Showmanship award.

For the past few years Maxwell has been having a blast showing Crank Up The Band (Carl), a 2008 palomino gelding by Reminic N Dunit out of Smart Dolly Olena in Showmanship, Horsemanship, Equitation, Ranch Riding, Ranch Trail and Ranch Rail.

“He actually belongs to one of my really close friends and when she went off to college and didn’t have time for him I ended up leasing him,” Ellexxah explained. “Now she’s off adulting and I get to keep playing with her awesome pony.”

Carl has a unique personality.

“He will sometimes decide he doesn’t want to ride that day so he will stand dead still when you go in the stall,” Maxwell said. “I mean he doesn’t even blink. We make fun of him thinking if he doesn’t move we wont see him.”

Ellexxah’s newest project is a Unforgettably His, a 9-year-old gray gelding by Unforgettable out of Uptown Detail.He was owned by a friend who overheard Maxwell was looking to replace her hunter partner after her family had to put him down in 2020, and suggested Ellexxah come try him.

“He was one of the coolest horses I’d ever ridden and I knew he was coming home with me,” she said.

They are competing in Showmanship, Equitation, Hunter Hack, Working Hunter and Equitation Over Fences.

“He was originally named Bucket because he likes to flip his buckets,” she explained. “I did change it to Beckett but my dad still calls him Bucket from time to time.”

Ellexxah really likes to try new classes but she says Showmanship will always be her favorite event.

“I love it because you can show off your personality the way you can’t in any other class,” she said. “The trick to it is really getting to know your partner. It’s like dancing, it isn’t pretty if one of you steps on the other’s toes.”

Maxwell attended Ohio Connections Academy for both elementary and high school and she participated in martial arts, earning a black belt when she was just 12. After high school she enrolled in classes at the University of Phoenix and earned an associate’s degree in arts with a specialization in business management in 2021. She is a professional bander and operates her own banding business traveling the AQHA circuit. She is deeply involved in the industry, holding memberships in the Ohio Quarter Horse Association as well as the Southern, Eastern and Northern Quarter Horse associations and the NSBA. She even met her boyfriend of five years, Nick Furlong at a show.

“We met during the Youth World at the hotel pool because we both missed making the finals the day before,” she said.

Growing up in the show horse industry has provided with Ellexxah with unlimited opportunity to learn from the best.

“There have been so many people who have influenced me during my show career,” she said. “So many pieces of advice, coaching, words of wisdom, and experience shared to me by trainers and exhibitors alike.”

Amateur Profiles are part of InStride Edition’s editorial content. If you know someone who would make a good subject for an amateur profile email Corrine Borton, at: CorrineBorton@InStrideEdition.com.