The pageant is in progress and the contestants are nervous. Who will win the title of Miss Rodeo?
We watch day by day as the contestants compete in various categories. We evaluate each girl and
try to eliminate one by one so we can determine who we believe should be the winner. Then, the
Day comes, and your daughter is announced as the new winner. NOW WHAT!
We, as parents, judges, and contestants, get wrapped up in the competition and tend to forget what
responsibilities the job brings. As queen, are you aware of the task that lies ahead?
| As a
judge: |
It is our job to make sure we choose a girl who will take charge of the title and use her abilities to the fullest. During interviews, when we ask her, "Why do you want to be Queen?" You want the contestant to sell you on her abilities and commitments. She will convince you that She is the person for the job and will be a good spokesperson for the rodeo & pageant and work hard. |
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| As a
parent: |
Inform your daughter of the responsibilities if she wins the title. Coach her and drill her before the pageant so that she will have a unique and sincere answer on how she is going to promote the rodeo, pageant, and its sponsors. Be there for her, but don't do it for her while at the pageant. I know its easier to have your dad to saddle that horse for you, or have your mom lay out your clothes. Don't think the judges
won't notice as well. As a parent, be there to help your daughter if needed, but
let her be independent and to do things for herself. Don't think the other girls
won't notice if mommy and daddy do everything for you. How do you think that makes the girl who has no-one there for
her feel, if she works hard, takes care of her horse, exercises him and cools him down after the rodeo,
drives herself from point A to B, and you, Miss I Don't Lift A Finger, wins the pageant. I see it happen time after time. Judges are starting to be more aware of this and sometimes now will
have silent judges walk around the horse trailers or barns to see who the true cowgirls are. Don't get me wrong, I believe strongly in having your friends and family there as a support group. But that is exactly what they should be. Support, only if you need it and
can't do it yourself. |
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| As a
contestant: |
Be prepared to be the best queen you can be after winning. Your goal should be, the director and rodeo committee will talk about how good a queen you were, years after your reign. You were awarded the job and now the work begins. You should be the right hand man (woman)
to the pageant director, by helping prepare for next years pageant, talking to girls throughout the
year and perhaps obtaining their mailing address. The best queen is the girl who helps the rodeo
committee as well. Hang up flyers and go to radio stations weeks before the rodeo to promote it. Promote sponsors. Offer to sign autographs at a sale at their store or a radio spot coming up. They
will love the extra publicity, and it might help to get them as sponsors for next year. |
Lets try to keep pageants alive and change the rodeo committees opinion of the "typical rodeo queen."
You know the type. A girl that wins the title and the next time you see her is at next years pageant.
Some rodeo committees think queen contests are a waste of time, especially when it takes time out
of the rodeo performance. Committeemen ask,"What does a queen do for me?"
Let's change that opinion. The more girls that play an active role in helping committees with the rodeo
by public relations or running stock out of the arena, the more accepted queens will be. The more
girls that can help pageant directors to get sponsors and contestants for the pageant, the easier it
will be for the director to agree to take on the pageant another year.
It's a lot of hard work, and most directors put together a pageant in what little spare time they have, and not get paid to do it.
The queen can make their job a lot easier if she is there to help before and during the pageant.
BEING INVOLVED IS KEY!
YOUR HARD WORK COULD HELP KEEP THE DREAM ALIVE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION AND PERHAPS BRING A WHOLE NEW MEANING TO THE
WORD, "RODEO QUEEN."
Happy Trails,
Sandra
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