Our hearts are going out to the family of 10-year-old Piper Faust, who tragically lost her life at the Caldwell Rodeo on Saturday (March 18).
Piper was getting ready to “compete in barrel racing when her horse got spooked and fell backwards on top of her,” according to KBTX.
Not only did her skill as a barrel racer catch the attention of her community, it was her sparkly personality as well.
“People just met her and they were drawn to her. She was the brightest little star,” her dad, Brian Faust, told KBTX.
She was a very competitive young lady who pushed herself at everything she did including dance, softball, and rodeo.
“She had an all-around spirit that was just infectious with a beautiful smile that she just came across to anyone anybody they were her friends. Her smile just made you smile,” her mom, Rhonda said. “She was just this tiny girl with so much attitude, and they were not going to steal on her [in softball].”
Although she was just 10 years old, Piper knew she had to focus her energy on what she loved most – the rodeo. Six months before her death, she dropped all her other activities to devote all of her free time to barrel racing and her love for the sport was taken to a whole other level.
“I myself think her heart stopped in the arena. She left her soul where she loved it,” Brian said.
Brian also told KBTX that Piper often spoke about how she talked to angels. Through tears, her father told KBTX, “She’d always talk to the angels, and they would talk to her, and she always told us that she wouldn’t live to be old, that she would die young, and she knew it.”
Memorial details have yet to be announced, but KBTX has learned that there will be several events honoring Piper. Loved ones have put together a GoFundMe page to help the Faust family with funeral expenses and anything else they may need.
Donations have poured in and in just one day, it has raised over $22,000. Hundreds of people have left comments offering their condolences and some stories about the spunky little girl.
One donation from Tyler Hatch read, “Had the chance to interact with Piper when I was a counselor at Creek View Kids Klub and will always remember her sweet smile, and the joy she always carried with her. She always talked about how she loved riding horses. She will be missed! Prayers for her family!”
If you’d like to donate anything at all to help the Faust family, click here.
Sending our deepest condolences to Brian, Rhonda, and the rest of their family. We can’t imagine what they are going through.