In a world of crowns, glamorous Western outfits, and teased hair — it’s the heritage that shines the most.
Every year, the world’s most elite rodeo athletes head to the National Finals Rodeo to compete for a coveted world champion title. Hundreds of thousands of spectators fill the arena to watch the “Super Bowl of Rodeo.” Outside of the dusty arena, there’s another annual competition taking place — the Miss Rodeo America Pageant. The pageant, held in conjunction with the NFR, might not draw the same record-setting crowds, but its rich history goes back just as far with the first pageant being held a few years before the inaugural NFR championship.
During the eight-day pageant, reigning state rodeo queens — donning sequins, bright leather, custom chaps, and cowboy hats adorned with crowns — compete for the ultimate queen title. Like other pageants, the cowgirls are judged in multiple categories, including appearance, personality, public speaking, current event awareness, and unique to Miss Rodeo America — rodeo knowledge and presentation, horsemanship, and general equine science knowledge.
“The horsemanship competition is what sets a rodeo queen pageant apart from other pageants,” says Miss Rodeo America Executive Director Jeana Linton. “These young ladies will ride horses at rodeos and events throughout their reign. Their ability with a horse is truly a talent and is judged as such in the pageant.”
After being crowned, the reigning queen will spend a year as a Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) spokesperson and Western industry advocate.
“There’s over 700 PRCA-sanctioned rodeos in the United States. Of course, I won’t have time to go to all 700 ... I will travel the entire country from far and wide and in between to different PRCA rodeos,” says Miss Rodeo America 2022 Hailey Fredrickson. “We also like to do community events as well. I’ll do school visits, I’ll talk at clubs—you name it, I’ll do it.”
Fredrickson plans to use her public position and year-long tour to promote her platform AgVocate, a passion project she started in her home state of Colorado.
“I’m really trying to bring awareness to not only the rodeo industry, but also the agricultural industry because a lot of these contestants that you see also work in the agriculture industry,” she says. “And not only just that, but if you think about it, there is something that you do every day that involves agriculture. The rodeo lifestyle, the agricultural lifestyle, the Western lifestyle in general, is such a hard-hit community, and there needs to be more awareness brought to it.”
Once her reign is over, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in agricultural communications or marketing, thanks to the generous Miss Rodeo America scholarship program. But, she won't be the first to trade in her crown for a graduation cap. Higher education, and successful careers, are common amongst former queens.
Miss Rodeo America alumnae can be found in courtrooms, boardrooms, and on TV screens. Katherine Merck, Miss Rodeo America 2016, pursued a degree from the Gonzaga University School of Law after her time as “Rodeo’s First Lady.”
“During my first several years of practice, I spent a considerable amount of time representing both civil and criminal clients in court,” says Merck. “Serving as Miss Rodeo America fine-tuned my public speaking skills and ability to think on my feet, which was better preparation for speaking in court than anything I did in law school. I learned to be more adaptable and to have confidence in myself no matter the situation, which uniquely prepared me to represent clients in court.”
In addition to a law career, Merck also does social media and marketing for the Western brand Kimes Ranch and coaches and consults individuals in the rodeo industry.
“Many of the challenges facing agriculture and rodeo are created by a lack of knowledge, and the role of a rodeo queen is to educate in a kind, positive manner,” she says. “When I coach young women and speak at clinics, I make sure to emphasize the importance of knowledge of rodeo, rodeo history, and the agricultural industry.
“While a rodeo queen has many jobs, her ultimate role is to serve as an ambassador of the sport of rodeo,” continues Merck. “Serving as a rodeo queen is incredibly rewarding for the young woman wearing the famous crown, but it should be even more rewarding for the sport and industry that she represents.”
As the women who earned a crown prove, there’s just as much grit as there is glam when it comes to rodeo queening.
Photography: (Cover image) courtesy Art of Aperture Photography; (Horseback riding) courtesy Art of Aperture Photography; (Passing the crown) courtesy Sherry Smith Photography; (Chaps and crowns) courtesy Miss Rodeo America Pageant; (Katherine) courtesy Katherine Merck