NRA Finlas- Butte Round-2!

This year I did something that no other Miss Rodeo Montana has ever done… I attended the Northern Rodeo Association Finals twice in one year!! The NRA Finals Rodeo has been held in Billings for the last 37 years and this year was held the end of March 2011.  However, the NRA decided to move the NRA Finals to Butte and to schedule it at the end of their rodeo season in September.

This was my first rodeo in Butte this year and only the third time I actually got to ride my own horse.  My wonderful mother and I arrived Thursday afternoon for a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performance. Sug and I carried the American flag while Amy (MTRM) carried the Montana flag on her 32-year-old horse Touchdown!

Friday was a BIG day for Amy and I.  We visited five schools that day between 8:30 and 4 p.m. Thank goodness for GPS on my iPhone or we would not have found our way on time to all the schools (K-2^nd grades in Ramsey, Hillcrest, West, and Emerson). We also stopped by and signed autographs at a pre-school, which was a lot of fun.  We talked to the kids about our travels, the sport of rodeo, the MRM pageant, and answered a LOT of questions. The questions were quite interesting, ranging from “Do you ride the bull?” to “Are you two sisters? Twins? Best friends?” They kept us laughing and we had a great time together touring all around Butte! Later that afternoon we also helped promote a kiddie rodeo at Murdoch’s Western Store and had an awesome turnout which was very nice to see.

Friday night at the rodeo, the committee did something I had never seen before --- they had U.S.A. lit up in flames on the arena floor.  I didn’t know how my horse Sug was going to respond to this but it didn’t even phase him! He’s becoming quite the Queen Horse!

Saturday morning, Amy and I were invited to emcee the very first Annual Murdoch’s Style Show at the Butte Mall. Kathy Baldry (who we have both known since we started rodeo queen pageants) asked us to take part and tell funny stories during “downtime” while the models were changing clothes.. We had a lot of fun and, of course, eyed clothing and boots that we wanted!

Saturday night at the rodeo was my favorite, it was “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” night, and for this special night the rodeo committee had placed a large cancer ribbon on the arena floor and lit it on fire.  Quite a spectacular sight and a great touch to draw attention to such a wonderful cause!

It is bittersweet knowing my year is soon coming to an end and that there are fewer than 60 days left until the Miss Rodeo America Pageant!!! The Northern International Livestock Exposition is scheduled October 19-22 in Billings and I am VERY excited to attend this rodeo.  It is in my home town and one I have been anxiously waiting to attend as Miss Rodeo Montana 2011!

United Way Day of Caring!

This year I was asked to be a part of something in my home town of Billings that was very humbling ---  take part in the

United Way

’s Day of Caring, the largest day of service in the state of Montana. I had met Carol Burton, Chairman of Billings, when I spoke at our local Rotary Club meeting and she arranged for me to be a part of their big day.

The event was held at the Rimrock Auto Arena, on September 14^th.  Everywhere you looked was a sea of blue tee-shirts!  I helped greet people as they came in for lunch, talked to them about the Miss Rodeo Montana program and thanked them each for taking time out of their day to help give back to their community.

While I did not speak at this function, I was introduced to the 1400 in attendance and enjoyed lunch with our Yellowstone County Commissioners.  I’ve gotten to know them well over the years as Miss Teen Rodeo Montana and now as Miss Rodeo Montana.

After lunch, my mother and I were able to help with various projects around Billings, starting at Zoo Montana, a place I had never been to in the seven years I have lived here! We took ladies from Autumn Spring Assisted living, for a tour around the zoo, where we viewed bald eagles, and visited Bruno the bear.

We then went back to the Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark to help paint the bleachers and preserve the outdoor accommodations at the complex.

It was great to see people from all walks of life helping with the Day of Caring and I was honored to be part of such a wonderful organization and to get more involved in my community!

Montana Pro Rodeo Hall and Wall of Fame- Beef and Beans BBQ

On July 14^th, I was honored to be both a guest and a scholarship recipient at the annual Beef and Beans BBQ sponsored by the Montana Pro Rodeo Hall and Wall of Fame.  This event introduces the twelve high school seniors that will each receive a $3,000 scholarship to continue their education at an accredited college of their choice.  Corporate sponsors and supporters of the organization were invited to personally meet the students and see first hand the results of fund raising efforts by MPRHWF. 

These 12 high school rodeo athletes are selected by the Montana High School Rodeo Association and are chosen using a balanced criteria of scholastic achievement, participation in rodeo, community service, future education plans, and financial need. In addition to the twelve $3,000 scholarships to graduating seniors, the Montana Pro Rodeo Hall and Wall of Fame awards Miss Rodeo Montana a $2,000 educational scholarship and $1,000 to Miss Montana High School Rodeo. 

I greatly appreciate receiving this scholarship and it will definitely help me further my education after completing my year as Miss Rodeo Montana.

Over the years, I have gotten to know many of the Montana Pro Rodeo Hall and Wall of Fame members.   My mother serves on their Advisory Committee and she is also the Miss Teen Rodeo Montana advisor. The Montana Pro Rodeo Hall and Wall of Fame maintains a monument site to honor Montana PRCA rodeo champions and legends at the MetraPark complex in Billings and raises scholarship funds year around.  Check them out at http://www.montanaprorodeo.org/.  They are truly a wonderful group of people.  One Board Member in particular is Lucille Hill.  She has truly been a blessing this year. At the beginning of my MRM year, she offered to proofread all my blogs before I publish them onto the Miss Rodeo Montana website and she is truly a lifesaver!!!  Sometime my mind is thinking way faster than my fingers will type and she always helps with my errors! So Lucille, thank you, thank you, thank you! You don’t know how much I truly appreciate all that you have done for me this year!

Montana Fur Trappers!!!!

When I got home from Missoula I learned my blood pressure had been running really high. The doctor needed three consecutive readings before anything could be done.  After the third reading, the Doctor was a little concerned as it was dangerously high.   Laura Bakker decided it would be best for me to skip the Kalispell rodeo and to take the weekend off.  Everything is getting back to normal and I’m doing better!!!

On September 10^th my mom and I traveled to the annual Montana Fur Trappers Rendezvous in Lewistown.  The Montana Fur Trappers have been strong supporters of Miss Rodeo Montana for many years and I truly LOVE my fur! The Rendezvous is a fun time and everyone should experience it at least once in their lifetime.   A couple events during the Rendezvous are a trap setting contest and a skillet tossing contest. With the trap setting contest, we each had to set five traps and the fastest time wins. I had never set a trap before but am actually quite good at it now! Overall I finished 3^rd and Amy finished 2^{nd …} not bad for two rodeo queens! Next was the skillet tossing contest.  I really wanted to win this one, except this year they changed the rules. Instead of tossing it the furthest, the winner had to toss the skillet closest to the stake. Mine hit the stake which bounced it further in the opposite direction!  Tough luck, but my mom joined in and ended up taking 3^rd and winning some money!

After a big dinner that evening, came the best part of the night!  The rodeo queens modeled about 20 of the most beautiful furs imaginable.   I loved getting to help model the furs and appreciated how much they are worth.

It’s fun to get to attend functions other than rodeos and try to give back to the sponsors that do so much to support us and the Miss Rodeo Montana organization. 

The National Rodeo Association Finals are coming up the end of September and following that the Northern International Livestock Exhibition (N.I.L.E.) in October.  Then my time will be focused on preparing for the Miss Rodeo American Pageant in December!!  Las Vegas, here I come!

Missoula Stampede!!!

The drive from Glasgow to Missoula is not one favorite route in the state…However I was excited to stay with my National Director Laura Bakker!

The sponsors of the Missoula Stampede really do a lot for the rodeo.  Amy and I got to know Missoula fairly well while doing autographs at various places, thanking folks for their sponsorship. While in Missoula we helped with the Missoula Stampede Rodeo Queen pageant which was a lot of fun and all of the contestants did a wonderful job!

About a half hour before grand entry of the second night of the rodeo, my horse stared limping.  Luckily a family who brought a horse for Briana Caldwell (Big Sky Pro Rodeo Queen) offered their other horse to me. Thankfully the horse got saddled and ready to go at the last minute just in time to run in for my queen buzz. This horse was an awesome red roan named “Red” and a barrel horse, so we were scooting around the arena and I loved it!!! Amy (MTMR) and Jade Byington (Missoula Stampede Queen) also switched back and forth in the timed events helping me push cattle.

A Miss Rodeo Montana Scholarship/Tough Enough to Wear Pink golf tournament was held on Saturday morning.  I loved playing high school golf and my senior year our team finished 2^nd and I got 8^th overall so I knew how to golf!  I had a stacked team with Kyle (Noon’s, my gas card sponsor), Jeff (Special Events Coordinator from Wranlger), and Harry. Even though our goal was to win, unfortunately we didn’t, however I did win the women’s longest drive from the men’s tee!  His was such a great fundraiser and the proceeds benefitted two really awesome causes.

The queen pageant also ended Saturday with a new set of royalty crowned.  The 2011 Missoula Stampede Queen was won by Mariah Rys-Sikora, Princess- Bobbi Lee Taulbee, Little Miss- Annika Erickson, and Jr. Little Miss- Claire Bagnell! All the contestants did a great job and I know they will have a great year!

I’m headed home for a little while ---  it’s been almost three weeks on the road  and I’m excited to sleep in my own bed, see my family and my dog!!!

Glasgow Rodeo!

Early Sunday August 7^th Jennika and I were off for Glasgow for a rodeo performance that night! It was a five hour drive and I was very thankful to not have to drive. We made good time and it was my last Brookman rodeo of the year.  I was privileged to ride one of their awesome horses and loved attending all the rodeos they had put on throughout the summer.

On Monday the 8^th we were scheduled to put on a kiddie rodeo at the Valley View Nursing home.  As most people know I’m very prompt, however the nursing home in Glasgow was really hard to find and Jennika and I got lost! Luckily we finally found our way and were only a few minutes late.  Rodeo Clown Dennis Halstead and I put on the kiddie rodeo for about 15 kids for the residents of Valley View and it was a big hit.  Later, we signed autographs before the rodeo and I truly had a great time working with Dennis throughout the year.  Dennis was one of my favorite clowns to work with and I enjoyed getting to know him.

It was different having a Sunday/Monday rodeo but that’s what I love about Glasgow.  Some of the smaller rodeos can really be some of the best times.  I was very thankful that Jennika took time out of her week to help me drive and keep me company. After I dropped her off, I had a few more hours to go to Missoula for the Missoula Stampede rodeo and Queen Contest!!!

Big Sky Pro Rodeo- Great Falls!

The Big Sky Pro Rodeo Roundup, in Great Falls is one of the biggest outdoor rodeos in the state with five nights of rodeo. This rodeo is in conjunction with the State Fair and special to me because I was the State Fair Rodeo Princess in 2005-2006.

The rodeo committee and sponsors of the rodeo were also really great to me and Amy (MTMR 2011).   The O’hare Motor Inn was our host hotel for all five nights and a great sponsor of the rodeo. Big R of Great Falls was very generous to us as well. We held an autograph signing there with the Big Sky Pro Rodeo Queen Briana Caldwell and the store gave us three Wrangler outfits!!! One can never have enough Wranglers!

Sue Thompson was nice enough to bring her paint horse “Tugs” for me to ride each night of the rodeo. There were five amazing rodeo queens from all over the state at this rodeo which really made the week extra special …. Carly Sykes (Livingston Roundup Queen), Jade Byington (Missoula Stampede Queen), Briana Caldwell (Big Sky Pro Rodeo Queen), Amy Hager (Miss Teen Rodeo Montana), and me. It was great to get to spend time with all these girls and encourage them to run for Miss Rodeo Montana!!

Each night of the Big Sky Rodeo had a special theme:  Military night, Family night, “Tough Enough to Wear Pink: night, Pepsi night, and Spirit night.  We all helped carry sponsor flags each night and switched out pushing cattle so that everyone could gain experience at a rodeo of that size. Libby Gurnett (MTRM 2010) also came to keep me company, which was great because she always keeps me laughing!

I had a great time in Great Falls during this long and awesome week of rodeo. From Great Falls I’m headed to Glasgow, but this time I will have a travel partner.  Miss Jennika O’Neil (a rodeo queen and 1^st runner up to MTRM 2011)  is going to help me drive so that I can sleep!!!