Live Like Lilly | In Memory of Lilly Butler

Her Story

A Cowgirl Through and Through

Every sash she wore, she earned with a smile as big as her heart.

$Lilly Butler standing in a field of poppies wearing her 2022 Amador County Fair Rodeo Queen sash and chaps$

Lilly grew up in the saddle. Long before she ever carried a sash, she was already the girl at the arena gate before sunrise, the one who knew every horse by name and never met a stranger. Rodeo wasn't a hobby for her — it was home.

She went on to represent her community as the 2022 Amador County Fair Rodeo Queen and the 2021 Calaveras Saddle Queen, carrying the flag into arenas and stadiums with the same fearless grin she wore in every photo. She was also proud to serve as President of her FFA chapter, and brought the same energy to the volleyball court for her high school team.

She had a gift for making people feel like they belonged — teammates, competitors, fellow queens, little kids who wanted to pet her horse, all of them. That spirit is exactly why the community she loved started a movement in her name.

Amador County Fair Rodeo Queen · 2022 Calaveras Saddle Queen · 2021 FFA Chapter President Horsewoman · Flag Bearer · Friend

Gallery

Moments We'll Always Remember

A collection of the memories her family and friends hold closest.

Rodeo Royalty

Lilly riding her horse as rodeo queen, giving a thumbs up — Full speed ahead

Lilly in her rodeo queen sash and chaps standing in a poppy field — 2022 Amador County Fair Rodeo Queen

Lilly on horseback wearing her Calaveras Saddle Queen sash — Calaveras Saddle Queen

Lilly and a fellow rodeo queen on horseback together — Amador & Calaveras, side by side

Lilly in her rodeo queen vest and sash beside a truck — Ready for the day's events

Lilly in her Calaveras Saddle Queen sash with a fair volunteer — With the volunteers who made it happen

Lilly in her sash standing with a friend at an event — Banquet night with a fellow queen

Lilly and a fellow queen each kissing a frog, a Calaveras tradition — Kissing the frog, Calaveras-style

Lilly as Calaveras Rodeo Queen carrying the American flag on horseback in the arena — Calaveras Rodeo Queen, flag held high

Lilly in her Amador County Fair Rodeo Queen sash at a nighttime rodeo with a bareback rider — Rodeo nights

Lilly in her rodeo queen sash posing with a cowboy and a young fan in the arena — Making a young fan's day

Friends & Fair Life

Lilly carrying the American flag on horseback at a football game — Flying Old Glory before kickoff

Lilly smiling in a green dress before prom — All dressed up, same big smile

Lilly and a friend holding FFA President and Vice President banners — FFA Chapter President

Lilly at the podium as FFA Chapter President — Officer installation

Lilly shouting in celebration during a volleyball match — All heart on the court

Lilly and a friend holding a handmade cheer sign at a volleyball game — Cheered on by her people

Lilly with two friends at the fairgrounds — Fairground friends

Lilly and three friends dressed in red, white, and blue for a school spirit day — Spirit day with the crew

Growing Up

Young Lilly as a child holding a pheasant while hunting — A little huntress

Young Lilly holding a frog as a child — Never afraid of a critter

Family & Adventures

Lilly with her family sitting together on bleachers — The whole family together

Lilly and her sisters on a beach in Hawaii — Sisters, Hawaii

Lilly in a pool holding her dog — Pool day with her best friend

Lilly camping with her dogs next to a rodeo-branded cooler — Camping with the dogs

Lilly hunting with her dog, holding a shotgun and wearing blaze orange — Out early with her dog

Lilly and a friend posing at the NFR trade show — NFR trade show fun

Lilly making a silly face in a playful selfie at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds — Just being herself

The Community That Carries Her Name

A group holding a pink Live Like Lilly flag under a tent — The flag, held high

The Movement

More Than a Hashtag

#LiveLikeLilly showed up wherever the rodeo community gathered — and it still does.

Barrel racing barrels wrapped with Live Like Lilly branding

On Every Barrel

Wrapped around the arena barrels she used to race past, a reminder to ride hard and live louder.

Hand-painted #LiveLikeLilly on a demolition derby car

Hand-Painted, Heart-Made

Painted on by hand wherever the community could put it — derby cars, gates, trailers, and more.

Friends holding the pink Live Like Lilly flag

Carried By Her People

Friends, fellow queens, and family — the ones who keep her spirit riding on.

#LiveLikeLilly

In Loving Memory of Lilly Butler, Celebration of Life announcement

Ride hard. Love bigger. Live like Lilly.

Lilly's family and the community she rode alongside continue to celebrate her life through the people, arenas, and events she loved most. Thank you for being part of keeping her spirit riding on.