Lindsey Ahrenholtz - Miss Rodeo Iowa 2009

Winding Down the Year

The weekend after Fort Madison I headed to Waterloo for the National Cattle Congress PRCA rodeo. I spent the weekend with Kimber and Doug Dall and my little "nephew," Cooper. Friday night I carried the flag for the opening of the rodeo and then Shelby helped me chase out cattle the remainder of the night. I also got to be a part of the Texas Kid's act and was launched off a teeter totter by his bull, Billy the Kid...luckily I did not face-plant during the performance and stuck my landings! Saturday night, I was joined by Jordanne, our new Miss Rodeo Iowa for 2010. Sunday I had to fly solo, but the performance went without a hitch and I had a wonderful time. Thank you to John Walter for having us be a part of the rodeo.

The following Thursday, I packed up and headed to Omaha for the Justin Championships of the Million Dollar Tour. There I met up with Amy Amack, Miss Rodeo Nebraska, Allie Bass, Miss Rodeo Wyoming, as well as Miss Rodeo Ak-Sar-Ben new and old, Holly Soucie and Morgan Marshall and a handful of other local queens. We helped out with the mutton busting as well as got a ride in the Wells Fargo stagecoach, which I must admit was quite a wild ride! After the performance, we made our way to the Hilton Hotel next door for the buckle presentation for the night's performance winners. Friday morning we helped out at the Rough N' Ready rodeo and enjoyed a fantastic lunch afterwards. I commend Craig Korkow for all the work he puts into this wonderful event. That night, we again helped with the mutton busting, followed by the buckle presentation. Saturday morning kicked off early with the parade through downtown Omaha, followed by a pancake breakfast, then presenting awards for the BBQ contest. During my afternoon break, I visited Wolf Brothers western wear, who has been a wonderful supporter of me throughout the years. That night we were part of the opening ceremonies, followed by a great performance with the semifinals and then by the top 4 contestants. Afterwards we got the opportunity to again present the buckles to each event's champion and I also saw PRCA Commissioner, Karl Stressman.

The first weekend in October I was back again in Waterloo to carry the American flag for the opening of the Dances with Horses, put on by the Aspire theraputic riding program. It was a fun night and it was neat to watch all of the different disciplines on display. Thank you for inviting me to be part of this wonderful program. Sunday I was back in Ames for the ISU collegiate rodeo. Thank you to Ted Soukup, one of the contestants, for letting me borrow his horse Pepper for the performance; a queens run, carrying sponsor flags, and chasing out cattle.

It's hard to believe my year is almost up and Vegas is just around the corner! My send-off will be this Saturday at 2PM in Boone at the Cedar Pointe Golf Course. Thank you to the Dayton Rodeo Committee for helping me put on this event, you all have been so wonderful to me this year! Hope to see everyone there!

Until next time, Happy Trails!

Lindsey

Dayton, Tri-State Rodeo, and Miss Rodeo Iowa

Friday morning of the first performance of the Dayton, Iowa rodeo, I was up bright and early for a radio interview in Des Moines at 97.3 the Hawk with committee members Amy Rohe and Jim Heckman. We all had a fun time with Andy and Lindsay in studio and I finally got to see Lindsay's video of her dreams of becoming the Dayton Rodeo Queen. Also, while in the studio, I got the chance to meet rising country star Justin Moore and got to listen to him play live on air. That afternoon, I headed towards Fort Madison to begin the festivities for the Tri-State Rodeo.

Saturday morning I flipped pancakes for the pancake breakfast on the rodeo grounds, then made my way to the arena to help out at the Special Kids' Rodeo. I made several new friends and was impressed that they drew 182 participants! All of the volunteers and committee members who helped put on the event did a wonderful job.

That afternoon, I headed back north to attend the Dayton rodeo. I made it just in time for the performance and borrowed Shelby's horse, Tucker, to ride for the night. We rode in the grand entry and helped the Dayton Queens, Whitney and Erica, clear cattle out of the arena. Sunday night, I switched up horses and borrowed Roxy, a mare I used to own, from tie-down roper Skylar Moore. After both performances we made our way up "The Hill" to sign autographs.

Early Monday morning, Mom and I made our way back down to Fort Madison for the Lil' Spurs Rodeo. I had fun helping out and watching all of the pint-sized contestants and got to experience the "greased pig" for the first time. That night I got to judge the Little Miss Rodeo and All-Around Cowboy. All of the contestants were absolutely adorable and it was definitely the hardest pageant I've had to judge all year! Tuesday I spent the day at Lincoln Elementary talking to the kids and answering all of their questions about rodeo. That night I attended the committee dinner to kick off the rodeo and got to sit at the head table between Binion Cervi, the stock contractor, and Boyd Polhamus. Wednesday was back to school again, this time at Richardson Elementary. While I was there, Binion and Chase Cervi brought one of the pick-up horses for the kids to see and bullfighter Corey Wall was also on hand to talk to the kids. That night kicked off the first performance of the Tri-State rodeo. Miss Rodeo Illinois, Rebecca Kloker, and I were announced and watched from the arena as Bobby Reid landed his parachute in the arena with Old Glory flying. We spent the rest of the night running the sponsor flags and clearing cattle out of the arena. I headed to West Point Thursday morning with Shelby along for the final school visit of the week. That afternoon we went to Sunnybrook assisted living and visited with residents and a couple of horses were even brought in to visit as well. We then went to visit a new MRI sponsor, Quarry Creek, to sign autographs, sample some of their delicious elk and buffalo meat, and were interviewed on the radio. Afterwards we headed back up to the rodeo grounds for the second performance of the rodeo. 

Friday morning started off early with the horsemanship competition for both the Miss Rodeo Iowa contestants as well as the Miss Teen Rodeo Iowa contestants. Blue and I set the pattern for the Miss Rodeo Iowa horsemanship and I must say I was quite proud of my little horse! After horsemanship, the contestants and judges went out to the B-Bar-T western store so the contestants could pick out an outfit to model in our fashion show and I did a little shopping of my own. Back in Ft. Madison, we had lunch at Hy-Vee and headed back to the Comfort Inn to prepare for Speeches. All of the girls did an excellent job and I got a chance to talk about my busy year. There was no time to waste when we finished because we had to hurry to dinner and then to the rodeo grounds for the rodeo performance.

We kicked off the last day of the rodeo with the parade in the morning. I was surprised at how many of the kids whose classrooms I had visited earlier in the week actually remembered not only my name, but also Blue's! After the parade we hurried back to the Comfort Inn to do one last run through of our fashion show and eat lunch from the Sub-Arena. Then it was time for a lil' fun and dancing as Shelby and I performed with all of the contestants and they answered their final impromptu questions. The scores were sent off and the final tally was made and our new Miss Rodeo Iowa, Jordanne Blair, was crowned with Hannah Hilsabeck being named her new Miss Teen Rodeo Iowa! Congratulations to all of the girls for all of the hard work and dedication they put into the pageant and hope to see all of them back next year! The final performance went very well, even though I was sad to think that this would be my last night as a queen at the Tri-State rodeo. I would like to thank the rodeo committee for making me feel right at home in Fort Madison, it was great to see some of the same faces year after year. I also thank Jeff and Kelli for letting the blonde sister stay at the "Metcalf Motel". Finally, thank you to all of the Miss Rodeo Iowa board members for putting on such a wonderful pageant and for being so supportive of me throughout my year. This year has definitely been a wild ride!

Until next time, Happy Trails! 

Lindsey

August = Iowa State Fair!

Well August rolled around and found me a little closer to home. I spent the afternoon of Friday the 14th in Des Moines at the world famous Iowa State fair. I set up post at the Iowa Horse Council Booth until evening when I prepared to hop on Shelby's horse, Tucker, for an introduction prior to the Cowgirl Queen contest. When my work was done, I got to sit back and relax and watch all of the beautiful outfits, and ladies, compete for the title of Cowgirl Queen.

Saturday morning, Sherry Davis invited me to sit in the WW Livestock Systems booth to sign autographs and pose for photos with fair-goers. Then I was off to prepare my showing shoes for the Governor's Charity Steer Show. I watched while Kelly Landman and her family, who owned my steer Boogie, got him all polished up for the show. Then it was off to the ring! For not having any experience showing cattle, I like to think I handled it alright and it must have paid off, as I was selected the People's Choice winner! Thank you to the Northwest Iowa Cattlemen's Association for sponsoring me and giving me this wonderful opportunity. Congratulations to Shelby for being picked for the top 10 with her Steer, Big Man.

Until next time, Happy Trails!

Lindsey

Is July really over already?!

Well it has been way too long since I have updated my blog, so be ready for a wild ride! (and a long one at that!) A lot has happened since my last post and I will try and remember all of good stories. I left off last with Edgewood so I have all of July to cover now.

July 2nd found me in Leon early in the morning to judge the Miss Rodeo Leon Queen and Princess pageant. The girls competed in horsemanship, personal interviews, impromptu questions, and the queen contestants each gave a speech. Coronation was held right before the rodeo in the arena. Congratulations to the newly crowned queen Amanda McNees and princess Jenna Kool. I was very impressed by all of the contestants and hope to see everyone back again for next year's contest! After the coronation and presenting the girls with their prizes, I rode in the rodeo grand entry and was announced for a queens run. I watched the second half of the rodeo from the stands and got to see my step dad Scott Shelton run his calf in the performance. After the rodeo, most of us queens stayed after to help chase out the cattle for the slack. I enjoyed getting to see old friends as well as meeting some new ones and spending time with my family.

The next weekend I was headed Northeast yet again to Decorah for the Winneshiek County Fair PRCA rodeo put on by Three Hills Rodeo. Friday night I helped with the opening by carrying the American flag and helped chase out cattle during the performance. Once again I helped out specialty act Rodney Hayes and his newest sidekick, Gracie. I think I am becoming a professional pony holder for them! This time not only did I get to ride his trained bull, Billy, after the performance, but he even let me get a picture rearing up on his trick horse Trigger! Saturday morning I introduced myself and talked about being Miss Rodeo Iowa during the barrel racing jackpot at the arena. After that, I got the privilege of being an honorary saddle club member and Gracie and I tried our hand at all of the fun games they had at the saddle club's fun show. Needless to say I did not place in any of the events, but still had a great time! Scott was up that night in the performance so I got to chase out his calf after a money winning run as well as see my mom again. I also drew the winning name for a new iPod for a US Army drawing and the Army guys even let me shoot their T-Shirt gun while throwing out freebies and I almost shot a t-shirt clear over the grand stands!! I closed my final night in Decorah with autographs in the grandstands after the performance.

I was home from Decorah for about a day, enough time to repack and get ready to head to Wyoming for the Daddy of 'Em All! I headed west the 14th of July and met Mom and Scott outside Council Bluffs and hopped in the truck with them to head the rest of the way to Cheyenne. I got to spend time with them and watch Scott rope Wednesday and Thursday in the slack as well as several other Iowa cowboys. It was nice to be able to relax and be a spectator, but Thursday afternoon they left for Mitchell, SD and I headed to my host home for the remainder of my stay in Cheyenne. Thursday night all of the queens who had already arrived had dinner at Esther Moore's house and let me tell you she can cook! Friday Miss Rodeo America, Alabama, Illinois, Texas, Wyoming and I attended the Cheyenne Frontier Days Queens' Luncheon. When that was over, we went to themuseum in Frontier Park and signed autographs and toured the museum with a group of children. Afterwards all of us queens made a trip to WalMart where we each bought matching CFDqueen t-shirts which we wore later that night to the 3 Doors Down concert. Saturday morning I matched up with Sugar Ray, my matching black Beutler & Sons horse to ride during my stay and officially kicked off the Cheyenne Frontier Days with the first parade of the week. After the parade we mingled with CFD committee members then headed to the grounds for a delicious lunch in the VIP tent. Then we were off to pick up our horses for our famous "Fly-By", which I think quickly became my favorite part of the whole trip! During the performance Saturday and Sunday we went through the major sponsors' VIP booths to mingle and watch the performance and we each got the chance to do live commentary for the rodeo on the radio. Sunday they took us behind the chutes to watch a few bulls get bucked and I had a close up view to watch Wes Silcox's ride. After each performance, we all signed autographs with the cowboys in front of the grandstands. Saturday night we introduced ourselves in front of the crowd in the grandstands for the concert of Julianne Hough and the great George Strait! After our introductions, we had prime seats to stay and watch the concert! Sunday's concert after the performance was Sawyer Brown, who put on a wonderful concert as well. Monday morning bright and early we reported down town for the famous pancake feed where we got to flip pancakes (which took a little time to warm up my tossing arm!), introduce ourselves to the crowd, as well as enjoy some pancakes...I think I had about 6! After that we headed to the Cowgirls of the West brunch and fashion show, where we visited with guests, signed autographs, and enjoyed some scrumptious steak and eggs (which I also ate!) After the brunch, Rebecca (MRIL) and I were done with our official duties so we packed up and changed before we went and watched the PBR at Frontier park. When the bulls were done bucking....and we got Rebecca's keys unlocked out of her truck...we loaded up for the long drive home in the middle of the night. I finally arrived back home just before noon on Tuesday, what a trip! A huge thank you to Arlene Kensinger for coordinating all of the activities for us while in Cheyenne and to my host family, Chris and Kathy Kienitz, for their wonderful hospitality!

Thursday morning I left for Lenox after being home for almost two days. I was joined by Shelby, my MTRIowa, Hannah Hilsabeck, Miss Dallas County Fair, Jenna Kool, Leon Rodeo Princess, Kara Telfer, Miss URA, and the newly crowned Miss Rodeo Lenox, Suzy Fife. Each evening we were announced for a queens run and rode in the grand entry then sat and signed autographs while watching the performance or helped chase out cattle. Friday morning all of the visiting queens and I had the bowling alley to ourselves and we got to spend the afternoon showing off our bowling skills (or lack of!) and enjoying a delicious lunch provided by the bowling alley. After bowling all of us girls decided to have our own parade through the streets of Lenox to kill time before the performance that night. Saturday morning we ate lunch at Breadeaux and visited residents at the Lenox Care Center. They were celebrating two birthdays and had a western themed birthday party in which we participated in. Saturday night was a performance no one wanted to miss because right before the rodeo, Shelby and Suzy got the crazy idea to both ride steers! They actually did a pretty good job and Suzy was even leading it after her ride, great job by a couple of our fearless queens! Before closing, I would like to send a big thank you to Heather Beck for taking care of all of us queens during our stay as well as to the Millers who graciously provided their camper for Shelby and I to stay in.

My last stop in July was in southwest Iowa for the 86th Sidney, Iowa Championship Rodeo. I arrived Monday night at my host home with Mark and Melissa Travis. Tuesday started with the Queen's Luncheon to honor the outgoing queen, Morgan Marshall and welcome the new Sidney Rodeo Queen, Morgan Mowery of Denton, Nebraska. Shortly after, we saddled up and rode downtown for the parade to kick off rodeo week. Afterwards they held the horsemanship for the pageant and officially crowned the "new" Morgan, Miss Sidney Rodeo Queen. That night old friend and NFR qualifier, Jason Lahr, was up in the steer wrestling so it was nice getting to catch up with him, and get a new picture with him where I didn't have braces! We rode in the big grand entry and afterwards, Morgan, Shelby, and Holly Soucie, Miss Rodeo AkSarBen, and I took turns chasing out cattle, as well as helping with the mutton bustin'. After the performace we sat down and signed autographs with a few of the cowboys and the bullfighters. Wednesday we spent the day walking around the square and visiting all of the businesses who helped sponsor the Sidney Rodeo Queen pageant. We also enjoyed some ice cream and Penn Drug as well as lunch at Whip's, where I ordered, and finished, their huge tenderloin sandwich! Thursday we went down to Hamburg and visited Kornerstone Kid's daycare and chatted with the kids and signed autographs for them. Friday morning Morgan and I, along with bullfighters Cory Wall and Andy Borrell and funnyman Gizmo visited the Ambassador care center, Gardenview care center in Shenandoah, as well as did a radio interview at KMA 960. In between visits, I squeezed in watching Scott rope in slack and helped chase out cattle as well, talk about multi-tasking! Saturday I got to sleep in and had lunch with my host family up town at Chaps this time. I spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready for the final rodeo performance. Saturday night started off with a bang, literally with their traditional blast before the rodeo, but soon after the grand entry, the arena fell silent...we lost all power at the arena! The bareback broncs were bucked and bulldoggers ran all without a sound, except for the crowd! Part way through the team roping, power was finally restored and the rodeo went back to normal. I will admit, it was kind of neat to kind of go back in time back to the original rodeos, before all of the techonlogy we use today, and really get to enjoy the rodeo for what it really is all about! I would like to extend a final thank you to Angie Nenneman, Sarah Holt, and Kary Koso, as well as my host family, Mark and Melissa, because you all made my week in Sidney wonderful!

Until next time, Happy Trails!

Lindsey

Northeast Iowa, My Home Away from Home

I arrived back in Ames from North Platte at about 4 AM on Thursday, got a couple hours of sleep, repacked and loaded up Blue to head to Bellevue for the Jackson County ProRodeo. They put me right to work when I got there with a radio interview followed by autographs during the Three Hills Rodeo pre-show. During the rodeo I helped with the opening, set a pivot for the grand entry, and carried sponsor flags for each event. I even got the privilege to meet the Texas Kid, Rodney Hayes and his talented 10 year-old sidekick, Mattie, and helped out during their act. When the rodeo was over, I got to go home to my VIP "suite" room on the top floor of The Bellevue House Inn, complete with large bathroom, my own whirlpool tub, king size bed, and did I mention a beautiful view over the Mississippi river! Thank you to Kevin and Vonnie for the wonderful accommodations during my stay in Bellevue.

Friday morning Stacy Watson, my chaperone for the weekend, took me to visit the daycare just up the street from where I was staying. Her three year-old daughter Rylee, a fellow barrel racer, and I had a great time talking with the kids and answering their many questions about rodeo. Next we went downtown to stop and thank the local businesses who were sponsors of the rodeo. Without these wonderful sponsors, our rodeos could not exist! After an hour straight downpour prior to the rodeo, the rain stopped, the arena was worked and the rodeo went on, just a little late! I was amazed to see how many people again packed the grandstands for the rodeo, despite the weather.

Saturday I had the opportunity to visit the local care center, get pictures with the residents, sign autographs for them, and heard many stories. I was especially touched by one special lady I visited with who was 104 years old! I had the afternoon off, so I washed the mud Blue had caked on himself from the night before and cleaned myself up for the rodeo as well. Saturday night brought another beautiful night for the final performance of the rodeo. I had such a wonderful stay in Bellevue and would like to thank the Bellevue Rodeo Committee and Three Hills Rodeo for inviting me and to Stacy for being such a big help while I was there!

Three days off and I was back on the road again, headed northeast, this time to Edgewood. I arrived and settled Blue into his stall right across the street from the rodeo grounds, in John Romig's barn. Next, I settled myself into my host home at Jim and Kathy Funke's house and started getting ready for the nights activities before the rodeo. I had been having bad luck with my vehicles the past week and I guess it followed me out of Ames, because not 10 minutes after I arrived at the Funke's, I looked outside only to see my truck sitting in the middle of the street with one back tire over the curb and on the neatly manicured golf course! Apparently it had popped out of gear and the parking break did not catch when I set it because it rolled down their steep driveway and narrowly missed a passing car, as I was told by a neighbor who witnessed it. Luckily, Roger Mooney, the rodeo announcer never got wind of the story to share my embarrassment with the whole town!

The Thursday performance was hot, but the stands were full and the rodeo was a success. Miss Rodeo ISU, Heidi Ganzen was on hand to help out. We rode the big Three Hills black and white paints for the opening and grand entry again and I tested Blue's cowhorse skills chasing out cattle during the timed events. I also helped Rodney Hayes and Mattie during their act again, being a hitching post for his bull and her ponies while they performed their many stunts, and even got to ride Billy the Kid, his trained bull, when their act was finished.

Friday morning I had a radio interview, followed by a visit to the daycare. I spent the morning being a kid again, helping make stick horses, sitting at the short table for lunch with them, and ending the afternoon with a parade around the room on their newly crafted stick horses. I had such a fun time with the kids and it was great to see several of them the next couple of days at the rodeo and around town! It cooled down by late afternoon but we luckily avoided rain for the Friday night pre-show and performance. After the rodeo, I tried some of the famous Edgewood fried chicken from one of the tents set up at the rodeo grounds.

Saturday morning I visited the assisted living and care center in the middle of town around lunch time and got to meet most of the residents and sat down and chatted for quite some time with a few of them. It is always great getting to know the people that have grown up and lived in the area their whole life, it makes me feel at home there too! Saturday afternoon was parade time and there were threats that I would be soaked by water balloons (not that I would have minded in the heat!) but made it through the parade dry. After the parade was the Sheep Rodeo for the kids at the arena. I think kids came from miles around to try their hand at mutton bustin' for the chance to win prize money and a free ice cream cone. Following that, it was nearly rodeo time again. I sat in the shade with the Guttenberg Hospital employees who were selling "Tough Enough to Wear Pink" t-shirts and signed autographs. All of the ladies (and a few gentlemen) who manned the tent with me were so much fun, and we had our own little fun photo shoots. The rodeo was packed again for the final performance and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. I had such a wonderful time in Edgewood, thanks in part to my host family, Jim and Kathy Funke and the rest of their family, Blue's host family, John Romig, and to Elise Bergan and the Edgewood Rodeo Committee and Three Hills Rodeo who invited me.

North Platte, Nebraska & the Miss Rodeo Nebraska Pageant

Well I have been traveling non-stop it seems for the past couple of weeks, but before I dive into where I've been, I'd like to take the time to thank a couple new sponsors! First is Al Landa of M&F Western products who is so graciously sponsoring several essentials needed by a rodeo queen, my choice of a new Nocona belt, Tony Lama hat, Justin jewelry set, several Justin Equine products, and an M&F double hat can and boot bag. A huge thank you to Al for all of his support of Miss Rodeo Iowa!

Next I'd like to thank Anthony Gatto and Kensington Protective Products, another generous sponsor for my year. I received a wide array of horse products including blankets, fly sheets, wraps and a masks, a matching halter, and hay bag to keep Blue outfitted for the year. Without all of my sponsors, big and small, my year would not be possible, so thank you so much for all of your generosity!

My first stop on the rodeo road was in North Platte, Nebraska for the Miss Rodeo Nebraska pageant, NEBRASKAland Days, and the Buffalo Bill Rodeo. They had a busy week planned for the nearly 20 visiting state queens, including Miss Rodeo America. Sunday night kicked off with the Miss Rodeo Nebraska pageant Horsemanship competition, followed by a night of fun and food hosted by Buck and Kathy Ewing. Monday kicked off with a Kid parade, and I must admit, I'm not sure I've ever seen that many kids in costume, even on Halloween! We spent the rest of the day visiting the local businesses and signing 100's of autographs around town. That night, we had the opportunity to watch the Frontier Review, which is a tradition during rodeo week. Tuesday included more autograph sessions and the Miss Rodeo Nebraska style show that night, in which all of us girls had the chance to take part in. Wednesday, my last day in North Platte, began with the Queen's Breakfast in the morning, a little karaoke in the afternoon (Don't worry, I don't think anyone's eardrums were injured by my singing!) and the Buffalo Bill Rodeo that night. All of the girls had the opportunity to ride in the rodeo grand entry and were announced for individual queen's runs too. I'd like to thank Amy Amack, Miss Rodeo Nebraska, Paula Stobbs, and Lindy Hiatt and the Miss Rodeo Nebraska pageant committee for inviting me to be a part of the Miss Rodeo Nebraska pageant as well as the NEBRASKAland Days and Buffalo Bill Rodeo committees for letting us be a part of their wonderful celebration!  Last, but definitely not least, I'd like to thank my host family Jim and Mary Backenstose for opening their home to me during my stay in North Platte.

Spring Semester Finished, Summer Here I Come!

 Well my spring semester at school was busy and luckily my Miss Rodeo Iowa schedule finally slowed so I could study!

I spent the last Friday in April in Bonaparte, IA at Harmony Elementary School for their "Reading, Writing and Roping" reading day to reward the kids for their hard work throughout the school year. I spent the day revisiting my years as an elementary student, going through Preschool-6th grade classrooms visiting with the students, teaching them about rodeo, and even joining in on their activities. The morning kicked off with their very own rodeo, starting it off right with the Kindergartners doing their own "grand entry", followed by each grade competing in an event, each of which was demonstrated first by me. During the afternoon, the classes split up and enjoyed different activities including a rodeo scavenger hunt, singing around a "campfiree", line dancing, storytelling, and a roping demonstration by two local cowboys, narrated by me, in which the kids learned about roping and even got to try it out themselves.I had such a wonderful time with the kids and would like to thank Dana Huling for inviting me!

The month of May kept me busy as I prepared for my first Iowa rodeo. I finally got my horse, a 4-year old blue roan Quarter Horse named Blue, brought up to Iowa so I could start riding him and getting ready for his first PRCA rodeo! The last weekend of May found us hauling to Northwest Iowa for the 43rd annual Cherokee PRCA rodeo. I arrived Thursday afternoon along with my sidekick, Shelby, Miss Teen Rodeo Iowa, as well as Miss Rodeo Illinois, Rebecca Kloker, and Miss Rodeo Virginia, Charla Wacker. I was put to work right away judging the horsemanship portion of the Miss Rodeo Cherokee Queen pageant. After that, I prepared for the first rodeo performance put on by the legendary Barnes Rodeo Company. We rode in the grand entry, and Blue and I were announced for our first queens run! After the opening, the girls and I mingled amongst the crowd and passed out autographs and I got to watch my stepdad Scott rope and tie his calf in 9.5, fast enough to finish second!

Friday morning we were up early for a radio interview, followed by a breakfast meeting at our hotel with the rodeo committee and personnel, and another impromptu radio interview. After that, we were off to a "Queens' luncheon" where we helped ourselves to a delicious buffet at Danny's Sports Spot. I spent the rest of the afternoon finishing up the judging for the Miss Rodeo Cherokee pageant with personal interviews and preparing for the second rodeo performance. That night, the queens and contestants got to help with the calf catching competition before the performance and even had our own competition between the queens! Needless to say, I didn't quite run quick enough to catch the calf and get the ribbon, but I think I was pretty close to second! Friday night went smoothly and after the performance, we put on our dancing shoes and enjoyed a concert put on by Shawn Mayer.

Saturday morning was hot, but fun, and kicked off with the Exceptional Rodeo where I was designated the "announcer" and had the chance to meet a lot of new friends! Thank you to Megan Pigott and everyone else who put in their time to help out and provide a great time for all who participated. After that, we headed to The Depot for lunch, but sadly we just missed the mock shootout and train robbery put on there. After lunch came the parade and Blue made it through his first parade without a hitch, except maybe those scary train tracks he had to cross....but we made it! Back at the grounds, it was time for the coronation of the new Miss Rodeo Cherokee. Congratulations to Melissa Tabke for capturing the crown and to the other contestants on a job well done! Also, congrats to reigning Miss Rodeo Cherokee, Jessica Rausch, for being a wonderful queen and hope to be seeing her competing again soon for a new title. Saturday night wrapped up the final performance, followed by a beautiful fireworks display. I'd like to thank the Barnes and Cherokee Rodeo Committee for putting on such a great rodeo and for inviting me to be a part of their wonderful tradition!

Bob and Donita Barnes

Incredible Idaho

A sunshine, slush, and snow filled weekend at the Iowa Horse Fair and Bulls and Barrels at the Iowa State Fairgrounds was quickly followed up by an early Tuesday morning flight to Salt Lake City, Utah. A three hour shuttle ride later and I stepped out into the beautiful city of Pocatello, Idaho, home of the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo. Before I knew it I was at the DNCFR kick-off party, mingling with cowboys, queens, and committee members and even experiencing for the first time "duck roping" in the pool! After a long day of traveling, I crashed early at the hotel room I shared with Miss Rodeo Florida, Mississippi, and Illinois.

The next couple of days, all 14 of us state queens, Miss Rodeo America Maegan Ridley, and the DNCRF queens were driven by our wonderful van drivers to many different local schools and care centers and got a chance to meet and talk with community members. I even got the opportunity to visit the pediatric floor of the hospital where I met a couple of wonderful kids! While there, we also got to meet the pilots and have our pictures taken in front of the Life Flight helicopter. It was really neat to talk to the pilots about what they do!

Each evening, we headed up to Holt Arena on the Idaho State University (not my ISU!) campus for some wonderful cast-iron cooked food and cobbler made by the master chef, Randy. After we had our fill, we headed to the opposite end of the arena to get on our Sutton Rodeo sorrel horses and prepare for the night's peformance. I was lucky enough to have picked probably the best horse of the string, Junior. Each girl received her own personalized, hand-made flag boot, which came in handy since it was the queens' duties to carry all of the sponsor and circuit flags for the rodeo. When I wasn't busy carrying a flag, I made sure to watch and cheer for all of the contestants that made it in my circuit, the Great Lake's Circuit!

Saturday was a jam-packed day. We were at the arena bright and early for the Exceptional Rodeo, where a wonderful time was had by all! As soon as the little boy that I paired up with stepped in the arena, I never even had a chance to think about taking a break! He was really a go-getter and he roped anything that he saw! He was also quite disappointed that there was not a real bull there for him to ride, and I'm sure he was up to conquer anything that day!

After the Exceptional Rodeo, we attended a cowboy church service, grabbed a bite to eat, then it was time for the afternoon performance. For this performance, I gave up Junior so the other girls could ride and ended up hopping a different horse for my flag runs. As I went out to carry the Wrangler flag for the sponsor runs, my new horse made it to the first corner of the arena, ducked his head and went to bucking! Luckily I rode him through it, as I heard announcer Hadley Barrett say "That cowgirl's got her Wranglers on!" Once he finished bucking, we turned around and made our flag run without a flaw and he was wonderful on my second run as well.

After the afternoon performance, we ran back to our hotel quick to change, and it was back for the finals performance to determine the DNCFR champs! It was an exciting, fast-paced finals with two separate rounds, the first with the top 8 and the final with just the top 4 competitors. It was thrilling to watch Great Lakes Circuit cowboy and fellow Iowan Wade Sundell take home the Dodge truck in the Saddle bronc riding! All of my circuit's cowboys did a wonderful job and I'd like to say congratulations to all qualifiers. Also, I'd like to send out a big "Thank You" to Carma and our four van drivers for being wonderful hosts while in Pocatello, we would have been lost without them!

Until next time, Happy Trails!

Lindsey

Fabulous Florida

The weekend after my trip to San Antonio, Shelby Chapman, Miss Teen Rodeo Iowa 2009, and I attempted the two hour trip to Cedar Rapids to the World's Toughest Bulls and Broncs. Friday night we got snowed in, but with sunny skies Saturday we were able to finally brave the drive. We signed autographs for hundreds of children during the McDonald's preshow, got to make "queens runs" in sponsored Polaris Rangers, and I got to carry the American flag for the opening ceremonies. We would like to thank Marla Morehead of Three Hills Rodeo company for inviting us to take part in this event.

Four short days later, I was back on an airplane again, headed for the Sunshine State. I joined 15 other state queens, Miss Rodeo America, Meagan Ridley, as well as the entire court of the Miss and Little Miss Silver Spurs. I stayed with a wonderful rodeo family, the Jowers, whose two girls kept me busy in the short amount of time I had to come home between all of the activities they had planned for us. They sure know how to show a foreigner a good time in Florida! While there, we visited several local elementary schools, had a tour on an air boat where we saw tons of wildlife and even a few gators, toured Gatorland park and got to see and the brave had an opportunity to touch the gators and snakes, took a trip to the beach, learned what a true Florida Cracker was (a smaller, gaited horse) and even got to take one for a test ride, got to explore on a hunting buggy and attempted hog hunting but never saw a single wild hog, but we DID catch a couple armadillos!

Oh wait, did I mention we also spent three days at the 102nd Silver Spurs Rodeo? It was the first time so many state queens could make it down there so they hopefully started a new tradition for the opening of their rodeo which included each of the girl's carrying their state flag and posting in the arena during the prayer and National Anthem. It was really neat to be able to take part in this and I was really proud to be down there representing Iowa! I would like to thank Miss Laura for coordinating all of the fun stuff we got to experience while there, the Jowers for letting me stay with them, anyone who gave me a ride to where I needed to be, and Brett for allowing me to borrow his incredible reining horse, Woody, to ride while down there. I've posted some new photos in my photo album of my recent adventures.

Until next time, Happy Trails!

Lindsey

Sensational San Antonio

February flew in and I flew off to my second big trip of the year, San Antonio, Tx. I landed Thursday afternoon in near 80 degree weather, in my sweatshirt and jeans, and quickly was in need of air conditioning...not something I'm used to in February in Iowa! I was picked up by my "host mom," Julie, and we drove to her house where Miss Rodeo Illinois, Rebecca, was already getting ready for the Xtreme Bulls that night. I had about an hour to fix my hair and change and we were off to the AT&T Center. We got to watch the Xtreme Bulls performance, followed by autographs with the top twelve cowboys who made it back to the finals that night and Avery Gonzales, Miss Rodeo Texas.

Rebecca and I spent Friday morning and afternoon touring San Antonio, experiencing the river walk, the Alamo, as well as doing some shopping too. It never fails, wherever I go, I always seem to run into people from Iowa. It is great to be able to meet and talk to people from home who are usually happy to see a fellow Iowan while they are traveling! That evening, we posed for photographs at the Star Experience, watched the opening performance of the 60th San Antonio Rodeo, the four-time PRCA Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year. After the performance, autographs were signed alongside the event champions of the night, followed by that night's entertainer, Gary Allan.

I left Saturday morning for the flight back to Iowa. After a 3 hour layover in Minneapolis, where is was only 30 degrees and dropping, I finally got on my plane for the short flight back to Des Moines, where it was over 50 degrees! I rushed to get ready for Shelby Chapman, Miss Teen Rodeo Iowa 2009's coronation. I enjoyed a tasty dinner and cake, helped with her auction, and danced the night away to the music of the Rowdy Cowboy Band. Congratulations to Shelby on a successful coronation, I am definitely looking forward to our year of traveling together.

Until next time, Happy Trails!

Lindsey