July is for the queens

​Starting off the month with a Queen pageant? Yes please!  I was so excited to be asked to judge an inaugural rodeo queen pageant in Missouri.  It was a little nerve wracking and I thought about when I was in their shoes at the Miss Rodeo USA pageant!  Not only was this the first queen pageant for the Marshfield Saddle Club and rodeo, the queens were also crowned in the arena.  It was an amazing experience and I actually got to meet up with one of them a week later at the IFYR and Teen pageant!  Definitely looking forward to seeing them compete for titles in the future.
 
Speaking of pageants and the IFYR, that was the location for week two of July.  I did not know what to expect from the youth finals and Teen pageant, but expectations were definitely exceeded.  There were thousands of young cowboys and cowgirls giving it their all in the finals.  Even some of our teen contestants were competing in the finals.  It was a true show of talent and grit.  The two events went off without a hitch, even with the storm that rolled in to Shawnee the first night.  We saw some lightning off in the distance but we kept on rodeoing (it was a safe distance away).  I am so excited to work with the new Teen this year, Josie.  I actually enlisted the help of her mom the first year I competed for Miss Rodeo USA and I felt like we were long lost friends when we met for the first time.  Josie is also a Texas girl!
 
From there I visited the famous Bustamante boots.  Handmade, true craftsmanship.  It was amazing to meet the team that makes these creative visions a reality.  It was a dream to design my own pair of boots and I cannot wait to share them with all of you.  They are of course, an homage to my platform and just a *little* boujee, just like me!
 
We are only half way though the month!  Hang on tight….
 
Cavalcade was another huge queen contest, with 13 girls, and hundreds of contestants for their rodeo.  This queen contest has seen up to 30 contestants at one point in time and the rodeo boasts 24 separate events.  It was a spectacle to behold, and if you were still awake after the rodeo and queen events in town, you could dance the night away with the nightly concerts.  I am excited to hopefully see their new queen at other Oklahoma and surrounding rodeos.  It was also a nice trip as I got to see some old friends and catch up.  The rodeo world is so small, you are bound to run into people you know on your travels!


One more event for the month of July, the famed Huntsville rodeo at the Sky High Arena!  The Huntsville committee and host family were so welcoming and involved in their community.  We were out 9 am to 10 pm visiting sponsors, doing live remotes, and participating in the rodeo.  The mutton busting had to be one of my favorite events, there were over 30 participants each night competing for the top spot and a hefty belt buckle.  I only almost got run over by a sheep twice, which I think is a pretty good ratio!  I also got to ride one of my favorite horses again, Percy, whom I met  for the first time at the IFYR.  He is a big, black, 16hh Percheron Mustang cross with a beautiful gait.  My host family rounded out the week with a trip to the lake.  A perfect ending to a busy month. 
 
Stay tuned for what August has in store!