When I left you all I was in the car riding around the big town of Athens, Alabama promoting the 37th Annual Limestone Sheriff's Rodeo! I was so blessed and lucky I got to spend so much time with one of my best friends miss Kaitlynn Norman the 2018 Miss Limestone Sheriff’s Rodeo Queen! We had an absolute blast running all over the town and filling the world full of the good news! The rodeo was coming to town!! Mr Mike Wentworth also spent quite a bit of time with us as we went to ten schools during the week to talk to the kids and hand out rodeo tickets! It was an interesting experience as Mike had brought a couple of horses along with him! He packed the bouncy horses and the teachers would race one of the rodeo queens across the gym. I tell you what, if that doesn’t get kids riled up and ready for a rodeo I don't know what does! I went to several TV and radio interviews throughout the week. On Thursday I was sad that I knew it was my last day to spend with my Alabama family, but I knew that I would be back! Spending time with Kaitlynn’s family was really a blessing we had a lot of good laughs and I of course ate way to many of Fancy Nancy’s brownies that looked like cupcakes (but tasted like heaven). I still can't believe I left home without the brownies! We watched several world champion athletes compete on Thursday in the slack and enjoyed great day in the sun and no rain! Which was a first for Limestone in about six years! The committee and Kaitlynn and myself all met at the Sheriff's office right before I left town and I was presented with a beautiful bracelet from the committee! They truly become your family when you join the bama crew!
After packing the car and driving through the night, I pulled into Newnan, Georgia. It was pretty late when I got there but I was welcomed with a big smile open doors, and a hug from Miss Elise! I was welcomed into her home for the weekend where I would stay for the 29th Annual Coweta Cattlemen's Rodeo! After getting a few hours of sleep Elise and I got up bright and early and headed down to the local school where I was able to talk to the kids about the rodeo and introduce them to the western way of life! I loved getting to meet the kids, there are always so many fun expressions and of course there are always the wild questions! I can’t tell you how many times this year I have been mistaken as a bull rider! After leaving the school we headed to the Bar W Feed Store where I met the owners Mr Allen and Mrs Leah. I just absolutely loved meeting them and hearing about how they started their business from the ground up and how they have grown to what they are now! Allen and I got to talk some cattle and about the farming industries and the differences from our home states! I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about how they do things there in Georgia! Elise and I left the feed store after getting to talk to several customers and of course we enjoyed ourselves some of Leah’s great grilling before heading out. We then went on to the rodeo where I was greeted by the one and only Bubba Oubre, where he introduced me to the pick up men Patrick and Kevin. I then got to hop on Mister John the horse and ride throughout the rodeo! John was a great horse and never once missed a beat! I can’t thank Kevin enough for a great mount! After two really good nights of rodeo and two wonderful nights of slack my time in Newnan had come to an end. I stayed with Miss Elise for the evening before I left to get to spend some more time with her, she was just an absolute doll and I loved hearing about her cows, and how she had done things there on her farm. Not to mention I would be lying if I told you I didn’t enjoy her cooking! Elise always made the most amazing breakfast and of course anything else she cooked was well worth it! As I sit in my hotel room tonight here in South Carolina I think about all of the things I have blessed with. I know you all hear me say that a lot but I don’t really think I can express to you all how lucky I am to get to be on this journey! I am so lucky and God has been so good to me in my life! Please stay tuned to see what else I have been up to. I promise they just get better and better with each and every stop! Before I leave here is one of the more famous phrases I heard while I was in Alabama! “More nervous than a long tailed cat in a room full of rockers” -Kaitlynn Norman!
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After leaving Evans, Georgia I was finding it hard to leave all of the good people that I had met. I wondered and hoped that the next several people I would be spending time with would be as fun! I of course was shown by the good lord above that with each stop the people get better and better along the way! My next stop was Madisonville, Tennessee, I was very fortunate to be able to spend my time there with the Hedrick family! They are the stock contractors for the rodeo and were beyond good to me! During the rodeo I was so fortunate to get to carry the American flag and present the colors of our country both nights. Meeting lots of new people is one of my favorite things to do and of course I was able to do that as I got to meet and greet with the crowd both nights during the rodeo. We all took lots of photos and I was able to sign a few autographs as well.
The following morning I had to get up early and leave Tennessee to head to the great state of Alabama where my next rodeo family was waiting on me. My first stop though was a little out of the way but more than worth it! I was able to meet up with my good friend Kaitlynn Norman who is the current Miss Limestone Sheriff's Rodeo Queen. She and I had competed with each other last year during the pageant and then again this January at the Miss Rodeo USA pageant. We have become such good friends and she has helped me out on the road tremendously. Once I reached my destination I was then preparing for a wonderful photo shoot with the one and only T.P Creations of Des Moines, Iowa! This worked out perfect to me as she stopped by Alabama to do a fun shoot with me on her way back to Iowa from her adventures! We shot photos in a creek out on a farm here in Athens, Alabama. The landscape of Mr. Allen’s homestead was just absolutely amazing and I am so lucky to have been able to do photos there. The following evening we went out downtown Nashville, Tennessee. Talk about crowded, haha it was just awful! There were so many people but it was wonderful I did not feel out of place one bit. The beautiful scenes of Downton Nashville will make for some amazing photos and I can't wait to see the photos that Tisha will produce! I can't thank her enough for being with me on this journey! After the photo shoot I spent some much needed time with my Alabama family here in Moulton, Alabama! I sure have missed them and all of their personalities! I have been so blessed to walk in the shoes that I do and to have met the people that I have as I walk down this path in my life! Every morning I wake up and feel so blessed! The good lord above is wonderful, speaking of that he and miss Sara Pro with Lazy P Creations worked some magic for me not long ago! As I was walking out the door for my photo shoot my chaps from Lazy P Creations showed up and were nothing shy of amazing! I was absolutely thrilled with the way that they had turned out! There is so much meaning behind my chaps and they are so bold I just had no idea what they may actually look like, but I assure you that if Sara can imagine it they will be perfect! A huge thank you is in store for her as she is a big part of my life! Well folks I am currently on the road and headed around town here in Athens, Alabama so I will have to leave you for now. By the way, No, I am not driving! Ha ha! I do have a driver and good company! Thank you all for reading my blog and I hope that you are all following me on social media to see all of the fun things that I am getting to do! Before I leave you I wanted to share something with you! Throughout my year I have been writing down some sayings that I have learned while being in the south! Things that I have never heard before and have had a good laugh about usually. This one comes to you from Evans, Georgia; “So many people you can't stir them with a stick” thank you Susan for the good laugh! God bless you all and thank you for reading! Stay tuned for my next blog! I have been all over the place since I last wrote you all of you! I hope you are keeping up on social media as I have been having a blast and trying to post as much as I can! My first stop was in Statesboro, Georgia!
Wow, Statesboro was a busy busy week, but it was most certainly fun and memorable all at the same time! I spent the week going to lots of sponsor visits because we all know you can’t have a great rodeo without the best sponsors! I also got to talk to several different civic groups and discuss with them my platform and why it means so much to me! I love hearing the responses from when I talk about my brother and Autism and how it has changed me for the better! I hear a lot of times about how someone else has been touched by Autism or even other disabilities! It really is something to get to be touched by god from one of his many blessing! One thing that we did in Statesboro that will be a life long memory and well, it might have been my favorite event of that week, of course alongside the rodeo. I was able to see Freedom the eagle! During this experience I was able to pet him and get up close and personal with him! Of course I had my photo taken with him while I was there because he is famous in the town of Statesboro! Freedom is the mascot for the Georgia Southern University. I learned while I was there that Freedom is so famous that he flies over the football stadium at every home football game as well as during the graduation ceremony for the Georgia Southern graduates. Since it was almost graduation time there at Georgia Southern I was lucky enough to get to see Freedom in action! We made our way to the football stadium which was the nicest football field I have ever been on before and Freedom went to work showing off his skills! He flew from the top of the bow at one end of the field to the other and was able to land on hi handlers hand Mr. Steve Heins. I was absolutely blown away at how well he was able to execute this practice, you could tell this was not his first flight! My next stop was in Evans, Georgia! The few days that I was there were an absolute blast! The committee was so fun to work with and really took me out and about to show me the sights of their town! Susan who took me around the town was so fun, I really got to know her well and it turns out we had a lot in common! Her sister Patty who is an absolute inspiration survived breast cancer and used Proverbs 31:25 during her fight, little did Susan and Patty know but that is my live by quote. Most of you have probably seen it on my belts that I have made and you will soon see it on many other personal items of mine as that is what I try to live by! I was deeply touched and we would soon run across this Proverbs many more times while I was there! While I was in Evans we ran across this place that is a horse rehabilitation center that is under construction! Susan and I made our way down the long driveway and was lucky enough to meet the owners of the facility! Her name was also Susan and I instantly fell in love with her barn that just so happened to be her dream. Susan, one of the owners of Helios (Which is the name of the barn) is a retired nurse, Army Vet, and also a retired firefighter. She has lived a life far beyond many people and now her dream that she drew out on a napkin has come to life! I felt so blessed to have met them and connect with them! The people you meet while being Miss Rodeo USA is truly a blessing! I have met some of the best people out there and I will get to meet even more as the year goes on! I am so lucky and blessed to walk in the shoes that I do! I have had a blast up to this point and it’s just the beginning! I can’t wait to see where all I will go the rest of the year and all of the people I will meet on my journey! Don’t forget to keep up with me on social media and to reach out and say hello if you see me on the road! Have the most blessed day and I will be back soon to keep you posted on everything going on this year! Wow is really an understatement as to how these last two weeks have been. I am officially on the road for the year! My first stop was Brunswick, Georgia. First of all on the way there it was very exciting! I have not really ever left Iowa much in my life and I was able to see so many things on my long eighteen hour drive to Brunswick! I seen “rocks bigger than my car,” I was informed those are called mountains in Tennessee! When I first got to Georgia the first thing that went through my mind was that it looked like the Lion King! There are trees everywhere here in Georgia! I soon found out that they grow tree crops just as I grow corn or soybean crops there in Iowa! I learned so much history about the state of Georgia!
Rodeo On the Beach was my first stop! I had an absolute blast! I spent everyday with at least one member of the Exchange Club of Brunswick, which is an amazing group of gentleman who raise money to give back to the kids in their county! I was so thrilled to be apart of their eighth annual rodeo! We went on school visits, spoke to different groups of people, did radio interviews, and I was even able to go to the beach for the first time ever in my life! To top it all off I even got to ride a horse on the beach! They all made sure that I was able to see the sights as I was there and really enjoyed getting to be a tourist for about a day! They took me Kayaking right before the horseback ride on the beach and that was so cool! I was able to walk along the beach and even pick up a few sand dollars for my scrapbook! I rode both Friday night and Saturday night during the rodeo! I was honored to ride one of Hedrick Rodeo’s finest horses, Bravo! We had some good runs and he did a great job taking care of me on my first adventure as Miss Rodeo USA 2019! I got to mingle with so many young rodeo fans and loved seeing their faces light up as the horses would fly by in the arena or the bulls would buck a cowboy off! After Rodeo on the Beach I made a few hour drive to another part of Georgia, Statesboro! What a fun time and we made history all while doing it! I was so honored to make an appearance to the first annual Washington Ag Center Rodeo! I have never seen a better crowd for a first time rodeo, I am just so proud of the entire committee and everyone who helped put it together! The weather was amazing and the horses worked great all weekend! I spent the week leading up to the rodeo going around the county to different events! I was able to put my public speaking skills to work as I was honored to speak at the introduction and sponsor dinner, the Rotary club, Lions club, school visits, and even was asked to speak during the fellowship to the youth group! I was so lucky and honored to work with such caring people! Mr. Eddy had spent so much time putting together such a wonderful rodeo so me and Mrs. Ruthie went out to ladies night out where we did some shopping at local shops and even got to watch the main event for the night! We sat and listened to up and coming country star Tyler Cullens! I had such a great time meeting everyone and seeing the town of Sandersville, GA. When they say southern hospitality they are not joking! I just got to Statesboro, Georgia and am getting ready to start my next adventure! I hope you are all enjoying the updates and staying in touch with me through social media! Please don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat I have been trying to post often so you can all see the exciting things I get to do! I will write again soon! In the meantime be sure to check out these really cool photos from my adventures! My heart is so full as I write this blog! I am just so thrilled to tell you all that my coronation was a night filled with a room full of people! We not only ran out of tables and chairs for people to sit but it was standing room only! I have been blessed beyond measures by the people that not only came but showed their support for me! I never knew that I was so loved and blessed with such an amazing community, family, and friends until the night of my coronation! I said so many hello’s and signed so many autographs for my friends and fans here at home! I want to thank everyone who was able to come out and also thank everyone who donated items and their time to help me! I could not have done it without any of you! Last week I was honored to speak at my hometown church where I got to share my story of success! Not all of you may know this but I had to overcome many obstacles on my journey to the Miss Rodeo USA title! I did not own my own horse for almost four years! Thankfully I never gave up and was even able to win my last three local rodeo queen titles on borrowed horses! I have been blessed to learn the life lesson of “Hard work does pay off.” During my speech at the church service I spoke of how my obstacles may have got me down and feeling bad but I never threw in the towel and I never gave up hope! My faith is strong and my will is just as strong! I hope that if you ever have a dream and the will to chase it, that you do so! There are so many wonderful things in the world to accomplish and God will always stand by you. Whatever you are meant to do in life and whoever you are meant to be you will be and you will do! How does one pack to be gone for an entire year? Please, if you know how this is done I want to know! I spent the entire day not only picking up after a successful coronation but I also packed my life into totes to be gone for the entire year! I am just so thrilled and a little nervous that I may have forgot to pack somethings! Hopefully nothing to important! Haha! I will most certainly miss my family, friends, community, and my farm, but I know this year will be one for the books! In sixty years or more I am sure I will be forgetful but I bet I won’t forget the memories that I make during my year as Miss Rodeo USA 2019! While packing for my year long adventure I managed to find several pairs of shorts, because summer is finally coming!!! Here in Iowa it has been a very long, and very cold winter. I am more than ready to go rodeo! Speaking of rodeo, my first stop is Brunswick, Georgia! Oh I just can’t wait to get there and meet everyone! I have heard such wonderful things about this rodeo and the week that I will get to spend there! I hope to see some familiar faces and if I don’t that's ok to because in rodeo, well there are no strangers! Rodeo really is one big family! The last few weeks have been so busy working out my schedule and marking down when I will be where! Please keep up with me on all and any social media accounts as I will be busy, busy! Well I hate to leave you so soon, but I have to finish packing and get ready to hit the road for my first adventure! Stay tuned! There are so many exciting things coming your way! Also check out a couple of my photos below from my winter photo shoot with the amazing T.P. Creations! More to come I promise!! The sun is shining!! Finally there is sun in Iowa and it feels so good! If you are following me on social media you have probably seen my winter photo shoot with the wonderful T.P. Creations miss Tisha Pol! It was not only overcast that day but it was a whopping nine degrees outside! She not only froze with me but she made sure I had some nice hot hand warmers in my pocket with a wonderful assistant by her side holding my Ariat winter coat! Thank goodness for my coat, good friends, and hot hands!!
We had so much fun outside in the cold and got some really cool pictures! You will want to keep watch of my social media pages as I will be posting several of these photos throughout the year! I am so blessed to have some photos with my very own horses! It will be a nice reminder that in a year from now I have some work to come home to! Recently I attended the Miss Rodeo Iowa Coronation, where I was so honored to get to share her big day with her! I spent the evening working the crowd helping the other queens sell auction items for miss Rachel. I even got to help out the rodeo dads compete in the Mr. Rodeo Iowa competition! Now that was a fun competition and who knew so many rodeo dads had such good modeling skills! I have been working on my coronation everyday preparing for the big event! I have never felt so loved and blessed all at the same time! I can’t wait for it to be here and to share all of the fun things with you guys as I am going to have a lot of things going on that night! I hope that you are keeping up on the Facebook page as I posted the event and post everyday about all of the exciting things that are coming in for the coronation to be auctioned off! My father has never really been much of a rodeo queen dad, but I think now he is starting to enjoy it a little more! He was so generous to donate a quarter of beef from our family farm to be auctioned off at the live auction, not only that but he also donated the meat for my taco bar! I am such a lucky girl to have a dad like him, and to come from a cattle farm! Cripple Creek has been so generous to donate clothes for the girls to wear for modeling during the fashion show as well as, Sunflower Cactus Ridge Boutique, and Pearls and Lace Country Boutique. How exciting is this, all of the girls that are modeling for the fashion show will also get their hair and makeup provided by the Bella Mia Salon! This is just so exciting, I literally just can’t wait for this!! It seems like I have not been off the phone since I have won this amazing title! Planning everything that goes into these rodeos and events that I will be attending takes a lot of time and preparation! I have talked to several rodeo committees about where I will be going, what I will be doing, and what I will need to prepare for during my stay with them! I have been patiently waiting to hit the road and it’s just about time to go! I have been packing and preparing for every possible scenario that I could get into. I am a very organized person, so for me to not be prepared could be entertaining! My first stop as Miss Rodeo USA 2019 will be in Brunswick, Georgia! Never, and I know it sounds crazy but I have NEVER been to a beach! I have never been so excited, I will get to ride horses on the beach while I am there, I will also attend school events and ride at the rodeo that Friday and Saturday evening! I hope that I will see some familiar faces there and I can’t wait to work with Hedrick Rodeo Company! I will get to spend a lot of time with the family this year throughout my travels and I can’t wait to get to know them better! During the year I will get to meet lots of committees and their families as well, so far the ones that I have spoke with and the ones that have been in contact with are just outstanding and I know the rest of the committees and families will be as well! This is just the beginning of my fun filled and memory packed year, I hope that you follow along with me on my lifelong dream as I travel and meet so many more wonderful rodeo family members! Don’t forget to follow me on social media and if you are in Southeast, Iowa on March 23rd, to attend my fundraiser for the year! I have been blessed with opportunities, more opportunities than I could ever imagine in my lifetime! I have been able to spend some time here at home with my family and my rodeo friends and family before I leave! I have been getting everything lined up to hit the road and not be home for quite some time!
Just the other day I moved my horses to the Beatty Ranch where they will stay this year and be cared for there while I am gone! Recently I became a horse owner again! In May of 2018 I purchased my first horse in just over three years! Shortly after that a friend of mine asked if I would like to add another to my herd and I soon became an owner of two equine friends. A few years ago I was no longer able to own horses and had to find a way to compete without a horse. I was fortunate enough to know many people who were always willing to help me! I learned a lot and rode several horses all over the state of Iowa and outside of Iowa as well! I am so blessed to say I now in just a short amount of time own two of my very own horses again! They are both projects but I love a good challenge! Luckily, for myself and them, during my travels and meeting so many wonderful rodeo family members I came across the Beatty Ranch, where my two equine friends will now call home and receive the best care this year! I have been all over the state of Iowa recently obtaining new sponsors and picking up gift baskets and items for my coronation in March! It will be here before I know it and I just can’t seem to contain my excitement! This is going to be a great kick off for my year! I have already heard of so many people who plan to attend and enjoy the night with me! Recently I found out that my local salon, Bella Mia Salon in Washington, Iowa has generously donated their time to do makeup and hair for my models during my fashion show! How cool is that? Also I currently have two wonderful boutiques that have partnered with me for the coronation and will be dressing the models for this fashion show! Be sure to check out Sunflower Cactus Ridge Boutique and Pearls and Lace Boutique, you can find both of these boutiques on Facebook and Instagram, and I promise you won't be disappointed! Just last weekend I spent the entire weekend in Waterloo, Iowa at the 22nd Annual Bull Riding Classic! I was able to spend some time with my sash sister Miss Leon Rodeo, Emma Bair! I also spent some time with an up and coming rodeo star, miss Kylie McMahon! The three of us girls carried sponsor flags for the event and helped out during the mutton bustin'! I have spent the last few years helping at this event and carrying flags in that arena, but nothing was more exciting then getting to come back one last time as Miss Rodeo USA 2019! Emma and I had a great time chatting about her year and her big plans! Fun fact about Emma and I is that I have passed down my last two rodeo queen titles to her and I have been honored to crown her every time! I can’t wait to see what the future of Iowa rodeo royalty will look like! I can’t wait to get things rolling and to keep you all posted on the fun things that I will get to do this year! I hope that you are keeping up with me on all social media as I have been getting many fun and amazing gifts in the mail from the best sponsors out there! I am trying to keep you all up to date on the goodies that I have been receiving and I hope that you enjoy them! I know I am enjoying it, and can’t wait to showcase these items on the road this year! Like I said, stay tuned there are some really good things coming up in the next few weeks that I want to share with you! Just a reminder that you can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, just search, “Miss Rodeo USA.” Have the most blessed day and I want to leave you with a fun quote that I found that I think you will enjoy! “Success doesn’t happen to you, it happens because of you!” I bet you’re wondering where is Heather, what is she doing? Well, let me tell you I have been busy! I have been preparing a coronation here at home where I will have friends and family come from miles around to help me celebrate my greatest success before I hit the road and travel for the entire year! I have some really cool things up my sleeves for the coronation and hope for the best turn out as I will miss them all while I am gone, but in Iowa we never say goodbye just say “I’ll see ya later.”
I have been asked so many questions as I have been doing a lot of interviews on the web and in the newspaper! I even made the front page of my hometown paper! I bet I will never do that again! I feel so blessed to have a town, community, and state that stands behind me. I have had so many phone calls, letters, and encouraging cards come in that make me really feel lucky to be where I am in life. I am so excited to be hitting the road soon! I hope that you are all following me on Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and here on my blog as things are just getting started for me! My first stop this year is actually a local event where I have been blessed to be apart of their show for a couple of years now. I will get to carry sponsor flags during the Waterloo, Iowa bull riding on February 15th and 16th at the Cattle Congress Auditorium! This year will by far be the most rewarding for me though as I will get to enter the arena as the newly crowned Miss Rodeo USA! I have always dreamed of being apart of that show and then once I was I dreamed of coming back with a national title! I am so excited to say that I have finally made that happen! I can’t wait to see my rodeo friends and spend time with my favorite four legged friends! After getting to spend some time at home I am so excited to finally get to travel across the US! My first out of state trip is going to be, any guesses? Brunswick, Georgia! I am looking forward to this, I will spend time with the Hedrick Rodeo Company and the amazing committee during the Rodeo on the Beach festivities, during the week of March 25th through the 31st. Just recently I was able to talk to Pat, who is on the committee for Rodeo on the Beach. Do you ever wonder if your on the right path in life or if your taking the right steps that God has chosen for you? After speaking to Pat and sending him my platform information, “The World Needs All Types of Minds” I soon heard back from Pat, he told me about his experiences with my platform. I was touched, from 1200 miles away I felt an instant connection and was even more enthusiastic about my first trip! I then knew I was on the right path, that I was right where God wanted me to be in life. These past few weeks of being home and preparing for my year and my coronation I have been showered with gifts, encouraging words and love. I sat back and thought how lucky am I, how blessed I really am to be in the shoes that I am in, that path that I am on, that I will get to experience things that some people may never get to do in their lives, things that only people can dream of! That being said before I close my second blog as Miss Rodeo USA 2019 I wanted to leave you with the words that I live by, these are my favorite words, the ones that I remind myself of everyday! She is clothed with strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future. Proverbs 31:25 I hope that you all have the most blessed day and I can’t wait to meet all of you on my journey! Don’t forget to follow me on social media and through my blogs here on the Miss Rodeo USA website! I will see you down the road! Hello, from the snow covered state of Iowa! First of all, I want to introduce myself to let you know who I am and where I come from. I am the twenty-six year old daughter of Steve and Linda Morrison from southeast Iowa. I am so honored to have been raised as a farmer's daughter. My family works on a fully functioning cattle and crop farm, where we raise beef cattle, run a cow-calf operation and grow soybeans, corn and hay. I grew up showing in 4-H and FFA but did not start my rodeo career until I was a senior in high school. I am proud to say that I am a first generation cowgirl, as well as the first in my family to graduate from college. I completed my education with two degrees, Agricultural Production Management along with my Agricultural Geospatial Technology degree!
Last week, I competed alongside seven other beautiful and very talented young women from across the United States for the prestigious title of Miss Rodeo USA 2019. We all checked into the pageant on Tuesday morning January, 15th. We started off the day with check in, orientation, and then went right into our first interview! We had three very knowledgeable and kind judges. During the pageant we also competed in platform speeches which I loved! I was able to express my platform of “The world needs all types of minds” where I talk about my brother who is autistic and how growing up with disabilities has affected my life for the better. We also had the chance to work on our public speaking skills as we gave state speeches and answered impromptu questions during the week. I personally loved my state speech as I was able to talk about the “Iowa Wave.” I spoke about the farmers wave, the Iowa Hawkeye Wave for the children's hospital, and then about the one and only rodeo queen wave. My fellow contestants all preceded to “wow” the audience with their one-of-a-kind and truly spectacular state speeches. I was so blessed to have been able to spend the week with such genuine young ladies who were all so polished! On the second day of the pageant, we were put to the test as we spent the day competing in horsemanship. A huge thank you the one and only 5 Star Quarter horses from Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, who donated horses for the pageant and are an official sponsor of the Miss Rodeo USA Association! Myself and the other contestants were thrilled to see such an even set of horses at the pageant. We each rode in two patterns, one was a reining pattern and the other is a horsemanship pattern. Following our patterns, we had to give a flag presentation and also performed our rodeo queen wave for the judges! We each stepped off our horses to be interviewed in front of the judges where our equine knowledge was also challenged. Each one of us performed with grace and were very poised and polished during the entire event. I am glad that I was not a judge during the week, as it would have been very hard to choose just one of us to represent the International Professional Rodeo Association. On Friday, we were all thrilled to be apart of the fashion show which was held at Broken Horn Ranch in Luther, Oklahoma. This was one of my favorite parts of the entire pageant as we not only got to showcase our idea of western fashion with everyone, but we also got to do it in one of the most beautiful locations I have ever been to! A huge thank you to a former Miss Rodeo USA, Candice Carper, for the use of her absolutely stunning venue! The other girls and I were honored to wear some of the most fun clothing that brought to life our western style from one of our wonderful sponsors, Southern Sass Boutique in Ada, Oklahoma! We were also able to show off our own ideas of fashion by wearing two of our very own outfits that we put together. As I close out my first blog as Miss Rodeo USA 2019, I want to thank everyone who made this dream a reality and I want to invite everyone to follow along on my journey as the first ever Iowa woman to hold the prestigious title of Miss Rodeo USA. Don’t forget to follow me here on the Miss Rodeo USA website, our Facebook page, Instagram, and our Twitter page! Stay tuned for all the exciting events and announcements coming up! Thank you again and signing off as the new Miss Rodeo USA, Heather Morrison! |
Miss Rodeo USA 2019
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