The traveling has officially begun! I am so excited for all the adventures that this year is going to bring! After my coronation ceremony, I immediately began setting up plans for the following weekend. I left Kentucky on a Thursday and headed to Arkansas to spend a day with the one and only, Sherry Smith! Upon arrival, I quickly hurried and got ready to take the perfect picture. Which so happened to be on a windy hill, overlooking a beautiful lake, with the sun setting perfectly in the background, in 24 degree weather, and smiling like it was sunny and 75! Arkansas was beautiful and so are Sherry’s photography skills! She worked hard in the cold weather to make sure the photo was perfect, and it was!
Friday arrived and we were ready for another photo shoot! This one in particular was taken to highlight the sponsorship of Ariat, Horsemanship sponsors, and a few others that have so generously donated their time and funds to the Miss Rodeo USA Association. I loved the clothing provided by Ariat that keeps me ready to work and comfortable at the same time. We had the opportunity to use a couple horses in the photos, along with tack that I am so thankful to have won. Without the support of sponsors such as the Woods Family, Ariat, Smneek Family, American Hat Company, Sherry Smith Photography, and many others, I know the association would not be what it is today. Thanks to you all for all that you do and have done for many queens before me. My time in Arkansas was over and I headed West to Oklahoma! It had been almost a month since I had crossed the Oklahoma state line and I was so excited to travel back! Now most of my friends know that I have a terrible sense of direction would never believe this, but I made it to my director’s house, Jamie, the first time without calling for help! Yes, I know, its hard to believe! By the time this year is up, I will be better at road directions than flying navigations! The following day, Saturday, brought me to another amazing photo shoot with Jenny’s Pics. Talk about having some fun, we drove around to different places in Lindsay, Oklahoma to find the perfect background before the sun set. We made it to a farm where I learned it wasn’t simple to cross cattle crossings in heels, and that the three minute rule in the pageant for changing outfits, was legit. We moved downtown to capture the historic brick walls of Lindsay and had one more stop to make before our session was done. The airport. The night before an idea had crossed my mind, I wanted to take a picture standing in the middle of a runway with the sun setting behind me. Pretty random, right? For those that don’t know my aviation history, here’s the scoop. I started flying with my dad at a young age. It was our family tradition of going out on Sunday afternoons to the airport to take a flight around the patch, as we call it. At 16, I became a student pilot and started taking lessons from instructors to obtain my Private Pilot’s License. Although I am still considered a student pilot (because I put my education as first priority), I have many memories of heading to the airport to fly with my Dad. Eventually I soloed before I turned 18 and have been flying ever since. My plan is to finish my pilot’s license after my Miss Rodeo USA reign ends. So going to the airport was nothing strange to me. In fact, I knew we could just walk out stand on the runway, listen for planes, and take photos. Jamie and Jenny, not so much for them! After some “believe me, it’s okay, just run when you hear an airplane” jokingly pep talk, we made it out just fine and managed to snap a few of the coolest photos you will ever see! I spent another few days in Oklahoma before heading to back to the bluegrass state of Kentucky. Just last week, I made an appearance at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky. Rodeo and agriculture go hand in hand and it seemed fitting to visit the largest farm show in the United States. I talked to many different agriculture professionals about what Miss Rodeo USA is and how I am not only the face of IPRA, but of agriculture as well. My next appearance took me to Cullman, Alabama where I was honored to be asked to be a part of the judging team for the Miss West Point Rodeo Queen Pageant. I spent the day with Dodie Rogers, the daughter of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, along with Travis Owen, a professional bull rider of 15 years. It was such an experience to have the opportunity to meet them both and have a part in choosing the next advocate to represent the sport in which we love, rodeo. There is never a dull moment in the life of Miss Rodeo USA and I look forward to every memory that is yet to come! Thanks again to all the dedicated supporters and sponsors of the Miss Rodeo USA Association!
1 Comment
10/3/2018 11:31:26 am
It is clearly shown that traveling is one of the advantages of being crowned as Miss Rodeo USA 2017. I am glad that your photo shoots are all successful and resulted with great pictures. I really hope that I can travel to Arkansas because I really want to visit The Old Mill Park in Little Rock. I also want to visit Oklahoma since the place is famous for the tourist spot, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. You are so lucky because you can travel to these kind of places.
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Miss Rodeo USAFollow the adventures of Miss Rodeo USA 2017 Brittany Howard as she travels the country representing the IPRA. Check back often for updates and new blogs! Archives
January 2018
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