Miss Rodeo Wyoming Blog

I Found Me!

9/4/2018

Don’t give up on your dreams.
Keep on keepin' on.
Don’t weaken.
The best is yet to come.
All in good time.
Hard work pays off.
Just be patient.

We’ve all heard these sayings many times. As cliche as they may be, truth lies within each. After 20 years I am thankful than I didn’t let my dream diminish. Because of it, I found many pieces of the puzzle that makes me feel complete.

Jeana Welsh Linton, Miss Rodeo Wyoming, 1998

It is hard for me to believe that it’s been 20 years since I was Miss Rodeo Wyoming. I remember everything, I could swear it was only a few years ago. But, the reality is, I am now in my forties and married with three boys two of whom are teenagers. There may be more years than I would like since I wore that gold and jade crown, but those years of experiences are full of lessons that molded me.

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Run Your Own Race

7/18/2018

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Mentally Preparing Yourself For Your Next Pageant

When a cowboy is preparing to get on his next bronc horse he isn’t thinking about the guy that just went or the guy who is getting ready to go after him. He is thinking about how he can make his ride the best it can be. Racehorses at the Kentucky Derby wear blinders so they can focus on running their own race. So why do we as pageant competitors get so hung up on the other people running the race, and why do we constantly second guess if we are ready to compete.

Morgan Wallace, Miss Rodeo Wyoming 2018

Often times when you think about preparing for a pageant the first things that come to mind are riding a lot of horses, studying, working on speeches, and getting your body into shape. However, one of the most important elements of pageant success often gets overlooked and that is learning how to overcome the mental head game. Anyone knows that a multi-day pageant can start to get draining on both your body and mind, but no one really ever talks about the mental games that you often stumble across leading up to a pageant. As I went into the summer of 2017 preparing for the Miss Rodeo Wyoming pageant I was guilty of doing all of the above. There were a few tips and tricks I used that helped me be mentally prepared and confident in the competitor that I wanted to be.

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Be True to Yourself

6/28/2018

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Winning the title of Miss Rodeo Wyoming and then going on to win Miss Rodeo America was an experience of a lifetime. The amount of time I spent in the public eye was mind boggling. Even when I was home, which wasn’t very often, people looked at me as a public figure and a role model for kids. I always had to be aware of my actions and words. The easiest way to do this was to be true to myself. I would remind myself that they chose me as Miss Rodeo Wyoming 1991 and Miss Rodeo America 1992 for who I WAS, not for something they thought I COULD be. So even when all eyes were on me, I remained true to myself. I was the ranch-raised cowgirl that didn’t have all the fancy clothes, trucks, trailers or the $40,000 horses, but I came from a ranching background with a very loving and supportive family who made me who was then and still am today.

Stacy Talbott Sinclair, Miss Rodeo Wyoming 1991, Miss Rodeo America 1992

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5 Changes to the Pageant Program Book

5/22/2018

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Attention Miss Rodeo Wyoming Contestants and Sponsors!
Changes are coming to the annual pageant program book. Miss Rodeo Wyoming sponsor, Boots and Cleats Marketing, LLC, will be designing the pageant book this year and some changes have been made for the new layout. For additional information on the pageant program book, please visit the pageant information downloads.

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Equine "Rhino" | Equine Herpes Virus

4/25/2018

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Dr. Allie Sowerwine DVM, Miss Rodeo Wyoming 2009

The sport of rodeo requires animals to cross state lines, which often results in potential exposure to sick horses. Therefore, it is vital to stay updated on recent disease outbreaks.

Viral diseases are the LARGEST concern for infectious disease outbreaks. A vaccine can protect a horse from showing clinical signs (being sick) or allow their body to adequately fight the infection before it causes negative health issues, but it should be noted that NO vaccine is 100% effective.

Recently, in Wyoming there was an outbreak of the neurological form of "Rhino" virus. This caused numerous barrel races, rodeo practices, public, and private arenas to shut down for 3-6 weeks.

Below is a little back ground information on "Rhino" to help you better understand this specific virus.

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2018 Clinic Wrap-up

4/25/2018

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22 ladies and 16 observers interested in advancing their rodeo queen knowledge attended the Miss Rodeo Wyoming Clinic March 23-25, 2018 held in Laramie, Wyoming. Congratulations to Makenzie McMurtrey who won the title of Miss Rodeo Nevada 2018 after attending the clinic.

“So informative, have been to many clinics, this is the BEST!”

Makenzie McMurtrey, Miss Rodeo Nevada 2018, MRW Clinic Attendee

Clinicians included:

Katherine Merck, Miss Rodeo America 2016
Morgan Wallace, Miss Rodeo Rodeo Wyoming 2018
Abby Hayduk, Miss Rodeo Wyoming 2017 and Miss Rodeo America 2018 Top Ten Finalist
Holly Kennedy Miss Rodeo Wyoming 2013
Kim Romsa, Miss Rodeo Wyoming 2012 and Miss Rodeo America 2013 Top Five Finalist
Erin Kyle Miss Rodeo Wyoming 2010
Crystal Myers Miss Rodeo Wyoming 2007
Pam Rivers Miss Rodeo Wyoming Association President
Jamie Pond-Cobb, PhD student & from Wayne State University Communications and Former Miss Rodeo Wyoming Contestant
Kathy Austin, mother of Miss Rodeo Wyoming 2015
Christa Branch, DVM
Guy Warpness, Moutain States Circuit President
Tyler Willis, 2009 PRCA Bull Riding Rookie Of the Year and 2x WNFR qualifier

New to the clinic this year were the one-on-one sessions held on Friday night. The girls were given 50 minutes to work with our clinicians independently on any topic they chose. Saturday morning, horses were brought in for the girls to ride during the horsemanship rotations. They worked on elements of patterns to prepare them for upcoming pageants. Saturday afternoon was focused on clothing, rodeo knowledge, public speaking, and equine knowledge. The night wrapped up with a causal "mixer" for the girls to get to know each other and the clinicians better. The clinic continued Sunday with PRCA knowledge, modeling, clothing colors, and interview and application tips. Before the girls headed home, they were given a final opportunity to ask the former titleholders questions during the Queen panel. At that time, the parents attended a Parent Panel where they were able to talk more with the parents of former titleholders.

Here is what some of the girls had to say about the clinic:
“The multiple horse clinics were great. I liked getting multiple perspectives.”
“So informative, have been to many clinics this is the BEST!”
“Fantastic quality horses! “
“Mixer was great fun.”
“It was an amazing clinic! I learned so much!”
“I liked the one on one sessions it really helped us to learn quicker.”
“Everyone was so warm and welcoming and it made all of the girls participating feel comfortable. It was the best clinic I have attended.”

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Memories

1/15/2018

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What a Difference a Day Makes!! How about 61 years?

It’s your movie--you are the producer, director and star.

In those days the title was Miss Wyo Rodeo. There was no crown, chaps, buckle, saddle, trophy, wardrobe, or sponsors, however, I did receive a bouquet of red roses. I was thrilled and my parents were over the moon! Let me assure you that memories made are more precious than any awards and have become more so as the years go flying by.

At the top of the list are:

Riding down State Street in Chicago in a parade while attending the Golden Spurs Rodeo and participating in the Miss Rodeo America Contest. It was pretty exciting; can you imagine from Saratoga, WY to that? I developed a friendship there with Lyn & Nancy Sheppard from Globe, Az. Lyn was an RCA cowboy and Nancy, a very talented trick rope and rider. Lyn passed several years ago but Nancy and I have maintained contact all of these years.

At the Denver Stock Show, I marched with Rex Allen in the Grand Ball at the Brown Derby Hotel. Casey Tibbs cut in on my dad and danced with me. He wanted to take me out, but my parents refused! Needless to say, I was pretty upset with them.

Mary Kay Walker, Miss Wyo. Rodeo 1956

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Advocacy

11/16/2017

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Being an advocate for the sport of rodeo and our western lifestyle

“If you don’t share your story, then somebody else will share it for you and it won’t be your story.”

Growing up in agriculture my love for ranching and the western lifestyle has always been strong and I have always wanted to share that love with others.

I had an incredible opportunity to serve as Miss Rodeo Wyoming 1997. The responsibilities that came with this title were to represent Wyoming, rodeo and our western lifestyle. I was able to be a spokesperson for the way of life I truly love. The spokesperson opportunities were varied and included: elementary school and high school visits, radio and television interviews, rodeo appearances, parades, special rodeos and the list goes on. In today’s terms, I was advocating for Wyoming, rodeo and our western lifestyle.

Kerin Clark, Miss Rodeo Wyoming 1997

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Staying Healthy On The Road

10/14/2017

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Erin Kyle, Miss Rodeo Wyoming 2010

We all know how important it is to exercise and eat healthy. But as soon as life gets busy, our healthy, active lifestyle is one of the first habits to go. Whether you’re on the road as a state titleholder or you’re prepping for the next big competition, following these 4 simple steps will help ensure that you stay on the wagon with your health and fitness goals.

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Stamina, Manners and the Need to Cowboy Up!

9/15/2017

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Jamie Moore Flitner Miss Rodeo Wyoming 1985

"Each time I get up to present on a bill or address a group of people it takes me back to every rodeo queen speech I ever made. "

I grew up on a ranch with crunch times at specific times of the year. My husband’s family ranch/farm where I currently reside is all about year round efforts to make a living in agriculture. I’ve learned a great deal about stamina while being a part of the Diamond Tail Ranch team. And to add to our load, a year ago I ran for the Wyoming House of Representatives. I now represent House District 26 in the Wyoming Legislature. I often tell people my first Session experience was like calving heifers: little sleep, high stress, quick decisions, and long days. Not unlike some days as Miss Rodeo Wyoming!

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I Found Me!

Run Your Own Race

Mentally Preparing Yourself For Your Next Pageant

Be True to Yourself

5 Changes to the Pageant Program Book

Equine "Rhino" | Equine Herpes Virus

2018 Clinic Wrap-up

Memories

What a Difference a Day Makes!! How about 61 years?

Advocacy

Being an advocate for the sport of rodeo and our western lifestyle

Staying Healthy On The Road

Stamina, Manners and the Need to Cowboy Up!

Archives

Categories

​Mentally Preparing Yourself For Your Next Pageant

​​What a Difference a Day Makes!! How about 61 years?

Being an advocate for the sport of rodeo and our western lifestyle

Archives

Categories

Mentally Preparing Yourself For Your Next Pageant

What a Difference a Day Makes!! How about 61 years?