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!