June 30th, 2024

​Welcome to the summer run! 
 
Summer is our cowboys’ Christmas.  A time of wonder, excitement, new beginnings, and a lot of firsts.  Cowboys and cowgirls may win that check that allows them to qualify for their first finals or they may be busy checking Google maps constantly to make sure they are heading the right direction to a new state (like myself).
 
We started off June on a plane.  To take it one step further we ended May on a plane as well.  It was a blessing and a full circle moment to ride in my hometown arena for the Santa Maria Elks rodeo.  That arena was the place I won my first rodeo queen title, and it is in that arena that I made my queen lap with my last rodeo queen title.  I won’t go as far as saying I shed a tear, but the moment was very sentimental and I could feel the weight of significance as I smiled and waved to my friends and family, locking eyes with them as I loped past an audience of 5 thousand. From my hometown rodeo in Santa Maria, CA I flew right to the other side of the country to Ponce de Leon, FL to attend and teach at the annual Miss Rodeo USA clinic.  We had such an amazing turnout of girls and experienced clinicians that not even the rain could stop us from learning and strutting our stuff  down the runway.  From Florida it was a quick drive over to Shady Dale GA for their rodeo where I got to ride with my friend Natalie, Miss Sunbelt Rodeo!  If a rodeo has more than one queen in attendance, you know it is going to be a fun night.  We laughed, made TikToks, and signed autograph sheets until our Sharpies were dry.
 
The middle of June marked the end of my 4 months of being continuously on the road; Shady Dale was actually my last rodeo in month four.  A quick trip back to Texas had me rushing to unpack and then repack for the next rodeo run.
 
Lost Trails Ranch Rodeo was next and they are not only a great sponsor of MRUSA, they also held their very first rodeo.  It was a very special inaugural event as the Carlson family is doing an amazing job renovating and bringing new life into the ranch.  The rodeo had so much slack it went into the early hours of the morning.  1 am may have been late for us but it was so great to see such a huge turnout of contestants; with this new rodeo on the map they are sure to come back next year!
 
June came to a close in a new state for me, Missouri.  The Marshfield Saddle Club held their first queen pageant in over a decade and I was chosen to be one of the judges.  Firsts are always exciting for me, there is an air of mystery and the excitement of the unknown.  It was my very first time judging a pageant as a national titleholder and it was the first time all the girls had competed in a rodeo queen pageant.  My new friend Nicole made sure the pageant was fun and a positive atmosphere the girls could learn and grow in. 
 
The beginning of the summer run commences the halfway point of my year as Miss Rodeo USA.  I am still having firsts, still traveling the country promoting the IPRA and rodeo, still meeting new and old friends along the way.  Half a year down, half a year to go.  We are using this collective summer run momentum the whole of the rodeo world is feeling right now and using it as jet fuel for the next 6 months of my 2024 reign!