Kolt Barbers American Cowboy Showdown

A phone call came in mid-week from Tony with Rockin K Rodeo Productions asking if I would like to attend their rodeo in Shelbyville, TN. I stuttered a little because it was just a couple days away and I was in Kansas. I told him, yes of course, I’ll be there! Getting off the phone, I went into a little of a panic because prior to this phone call I wasn’t going to be on the road until the following Thursday. I had a truck to pack, my horses to take elsewhere, and coordination of places to stay in between rodeos. All of that was on my to-do list. As soon as I got off the phone, I got to work and was on the road a mere 36 hours later. Making the 12 hour drive to Tullahoma, TN was no problem, thanks to some sunflower seeds and a handful of much needed phone conversations. I stayed with my friend, Valerie, who also happened to be my roommate at the Miss Rodeo USA pageant this past January. We caught up for a day and off I went to Shelbyville, TN for the Kolt Barber American Cowboy Showdown.
 
My main duties were to present the colors, which is a typical job of mine. I go into the rodeo office to get the American flag and my eyes got big! Needless to say, it was a huge flag! In the back of my mind, I also knew there was going to be pyro in the opening of the rodeo which would make for an exciting entrance! I was mounted on one of the pick-up men’s horses and was waiting to enter the arena. One side note, especially with a very tall flag, is that the entry gates usually have a bar across the top. This means you have to tip back your flag to get under the bar. I am always careful to not let the flag touch the ground so I rounded up a couple people standing around to catch the tail if it was getting close to the ground. I successfully make it in to the arena and make my lap. Settling in the middle was not on this horses mind but we do and just as he is finally calm the pyro starts up! Thankfully he didn’t get too fired up and I was quick to react and hold the reins snug.
 
After the grand entry, I walked throughout the crowd signing autographs and chatting with the local fans throughout the rest of the rodeo. They had a 10 minute intermission to work the arena before barrel racing and I helped set up the barrels. One of the rodeo judges said to me as I came carrying the barrel, “Well, I’ve never seen this before.” Not knowing if he was talking about something being wrong with the barrel or not I said, “Saw what?” He was talking about seeing a rodeo queen carry a barrel out into the arena. I told him, “I always say, a little bit of work is well worth the front row seat to watch one of my favorite events!” I only had to set up one barrel during all the runs so it was an easy task. I don’t like to sit still at a rodeo because I know there is always something that can be done. I had already made it through the crowd so I jumped up when I saw the barrels sitting at the side of the arena.
 
Following the rodeo, Kolt Barber performed live music on the far side of the arena. You can’t get much better than a good rodeo until you add a live concert to it! These were two activities I hadn’t been to in a while and I got to experience both in one day. I spent a few more days in Tennessee to see a few sites with Valerie. It sure is good to have friends all over the country. It definitely makes traveling more fun. Oh, how could I forget to mention all the good home cooking I got to experience? They sure weren’t kidding on the whole southern hospitality thing I have always heard so highly about. I will now be adding corn bread to every meal I make back home. Now it’s off to Alabama for the 25th Annual Marion Rodeo!
 
Miss Rodeo USA 2020
Brooke Wallace
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Brooke’s Bloopers: When I was driving through Nashville I ran into some backed up traffic. Remember, being from Kansas, I am hardly ever at a standstill on a 5 lane highway (There really aren’t many 5 lane highways in Kansas anyway). I was cruising along and had to pretty quickly come to a halt. As I stopped, my sunflowers seeds went flying and covered the floor board of my truck. After a gasp, I began to laugh because I think the spilling of the seeds startled me more than the quick stop. All in all it was fine and I lost about half my bag of seeds.
 
Queens Corner: Traveling essentials are important when going across the country or even just down the road. Here is a packing list of essentials that I can’t go anywhere without!
 
Packing list:
Rain Gear- rain slicker, hat cover, muck boots
Cold gear- winter coat, medium weight coat, hat, gloves, blanket
Rodeo Gear- spurs, rope, gloves, pocket knife, zip ties, flag boot x2, bobby pins, safety pins
Miscellaneous- flashlight, trash sacks, tape (all types), plastic sacks, small tool kit, toilet paper, paper towels, spare tire, jack, Clorox wipes, tissues, tire gauge, chargers for all electronics, sunglasses, hand sanitizer
Queen bag- Tide to go pen, jewelry, make-up, ball cap, hair supplies/styling tools, clothing, hats, crown, sashes, belt buckle, autograph sheets, sharpies, computer, planner
Extras- bobby pins, rodeo shirts/jeans, boots, hat, hairspray, sharpies, sunflower seeds, Mountain Dew, first aid kit, scissors, sunscreen
 
The most unusual item of them all is a chalk board eraser because it will clean the film off of the inside of your windshield! 
 
Statistically Speaking:

• Miles Traveled: 4,646
• States Visited: 4
• Rodeos Attended: 5
• Number of Performances: 13
• Horses Ridden: 15
• Other Appearances: 12