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. |
Over the years I have coached many girls and the most important thing I try to teach them, is to be true to themselves. Each one of us wants to make a positive impression, whether it is in front of a judge or our colleagues, but we should never compromise our true self to impress anyone! For example, if you put on a fake personality during a pageant and win, that is the person everyone expecting to see for the next 365 days, and that is a long time to not be your true self. Be proud of who you genuinely are! God made each and everyone of us unique and with an individual purpose. |
Throughout my year as Miss Rodeo Wyoming and Miss Rodeo America the greatest compliment I would receive was when someone spoke of how sincere and down to earth I was. It was the most flattering compliment, because it was about who I was, not all the glitz and glamour, it was about sincerity. I always felt like it was a privilege to represent the PRCA and the western way of life. It was a job that I took very seriously and the only way I could do it justice was to be my true self, all the time. So, when a young lady asks what the most important thing is that she can learn or do to win a pageant, the answer is always the same… be true to yourself and be proud of who you are. |
“The clock of life is wound but once, no one has the power to tell when the hands will be still.
So live love and work with a will, for tomorrow the clock may be still.”
So live love and work with a will, for tomorrow the clock may be still.”