Candice Marie Carper, representing the Norco Mounted Posse Rodeo, has been selected to reign as the 2004 Miss Rodeo California.  Miss Carper was chosen from an outstanding field of 12 contestants who competed during the four days of the annual Pageant.  She will tour the state of California, during the coming year, attending rodeos sponsored by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), instructing school children on the family values of our western heritage and meeting with many service clubs and organizations.

The Miss Rodeo California Pageant is held each year in the city of San Dimas, California in conjunction with the city's Western Days and Rodeo Celebration.  This is the 32nd year the Pageant has selected a young lady who will represent the State of California at the Miss Rodeo America Pageant, held annually in Las Vegas, Nevada as part of the National Finals Rodeo.  This year's Miss Rodeo California 2003, Darci Robertson from, Soquel, California, will be competing for that national title against 25 other state contestants.

Candice Carper lives in Banning, CA.  She graduated from Banning High School and has attended Crafton Hills College and Mt. San Jacinto College majoring in Business, with a minor in Marketing and Communications.  She intends to continue her education at Cal Poly Pomona toward her Masters Degree in Business.

Her interests include photography, water skiing, softball and mentoring children as a Big Sister.  In her spare time she participates in Reining, Cutting and Barrel Racing among many other horse-related activities.

The contestants for the Miss Rodeo California title compete in three categories: Horsemanship, Appearance and Personality. The program requires each contestant to model western attire, ride two different horses in specified patterns, give two speeches, answer impromptu questions, and be personally interviewed on two occasions by the Pageant's four judges.

Miss Carper, as this year's winner, received many wonderful awards, including the use of a Circle J Trailer from Golden West Trailer Sales, the use of a Toyota Tundra pickup truck from Toyota Motors USA, a Skyline trophy buckle, a $1,000 scholarship presented by New Spirit Naturals, a Circle Y saddle and many other wonderful gifts.

The Coronation Dinner took place in the Ballroom of the Shilo Hilltop Suites, Pomona, CA, before a packed audience of about 300 attendees, including state and local dignitaries.  The event, which was “sold out” for the sixth straight year, was filmed by Adelphia Cable TV for presentation to their television subscribers and Cheyenne Pipkin, #1 Rodeo Announcer in the World, was the Master of Ceremonies.  Assisting in the Awards Presentation was Dr. Bruce Hensel, Emmy Award winning Chief Medical, Health and Science Editor and Correspondent for NBC4- TV.

The new Miss Rodeo California began her duties by riding in a parade as part of the San Dimas Chamber of Commerce Western Days Celebration after which she took part in the Casino Night, Western Dance and Little Miss San Dimas contest.

Other winners in the various categories of the Pageant are as follows:

Raffle Sales – Chrystle Alberta, Miss Rodeo San Francisco

Judges Spirit Award – Teresa Himes, Miss Rodeo Lancaster

Miss Congeniality – Teresa Himes, Miss Rodeo Lancaster

Miss Photogenic (Tie) – Kayla Ann Spurlock, Miss Rodeo Ramona

                                        Candice Carper, Miss Rodeo Norco

 Miss Speech – Candice Carper, Miss Rodeo Norco

 Miss Appearance – Candice Carper, Miss Rodeo Norco

 Miss Appearance Runner-up – Kayla Spurlock, Miss Rodeo Ramona

 Miss Personality – Candice Carper, Miss Rodeo Norco

 Miss Personality Runner-up – Kayla Spurlock, Miss Rodeo Ramona

 Miss Horsemanship – Candice Carper, Miss Rodeo Norco

 Miss Horsemanship Runner-up – Shannon Renz, Miss Rodeo Salinas

 Miss Rodeo California #1 Runner-up – Kayla Spurlock, Miss Rodeo Ramona

 Miss Rodeo California #2 Runner-up – Lindsey Stanfield, Miss Rodeo Clements

 Miss Rodeo California #3 Runner-up – Chrystle Alberta, Miss Rodeo San Francisco

 Miss Rodeo California #4 Runner-up – Shannon Renz, Miss Rodeo Salinas

 Miss Rodeo California #5 Runner-up – Brittany Nuckols, Miss Rodeo Barstow

The Pageant Officials are very proud of all the contestants who were competing in the various pageant events leading up to the Coronation Dinner.  Jim Sculatti, President of the Miss Rodeo California Pageant, Inc. Executive Board, said in his opening remarks, “There are no losers in this group of young ladies, they are all winners."  This was very evident when Miss Carper was crowned by the outgoing Miss Rodeo California, Darci Robertson and the former Miss Rodeo America, Brandy De Jongh, Leona Valley, CA, as all the contestants joined in the rousing applause that welcomed the announcement of the winner. They followed the tradition of the great sport of rodeo by showing their heart-felt congratulations as the new Miss Rodeo California accepted her crown.  

Master of Ceremonies, Cheyenne Pipkin, during his introductions at the beginning of the Pageant, offered the comment, "I feel that any one of these contestants would make an excellent role-model for the young ladies in our state to emulate.  All of them have displayed the ability to win a Rodeo Crown and demonstrated a sense of the very best "western spirit" that we hope will be the hallmark of this Pageant, both now and in the future."