Pageant Preparation

Is there pageant competition in your future? Nothing can help put those competition jitters to rest better than a good plan of preparation. With all the information, clinics, private coaching and other resources available, there is no excuse for not being prepared when you enter a rodeo queen competition.

If you are planning to enter a pageant, do your homework. Research the history of the pageant and get familiar with its rules, background and committees. If possible, get a schedule of the pageant events, such as written tests, multiple interviews, horsemanship, etc. Talk to past contestants if you can. Get an idea of what type wardrobe you will need. Are there ads or raffle tickets to be sold? Get a time line in place and stick to it. If you need a speech or platform, get those in place as soon as you make the decision to enter. They need to be fine tuned when you get to the competition. Truthfully evaluate yourself and where you believe you are at this level of competition. Once you have been honest with yourself and know where your weak areas are, seek help in those particular areas. A good review and brush-up in all areas of competition is worth the time. But don’t be afraid of getting constructive criticism.

Clinics are one of the best sources of preparation. There are usually multiple speakers and presenters at clinics. Many past queens have their “area of expertise” that they each share. The opportunity to exchange ideas and learn from the experiences of others is tremendous. Just because it is being sponsored by a particular organization, doesn’t mean that it would not be helpful to you if you were not planning to compete in that pageant. For example, just because you are not planning to compete at Miss Rodeo USA this year, you would still benefit greatly from the clinic. For the most part, pageants are run fairly similar. They all have interviews, modeling, most have speeches and written tests. The test material may be different according to associations represented, but many have general horsemanship and current event material. My point is you have a lot of help available if you want to really be competitive in your pageant. But you have to take the initiative to seek the help and benefit from it. There are many wonderful titles to be won out there – work hard and have the time of your life representing one of them!