Wow I'm way behind! My June kicked off with my hometown rodeo. On the 15th and 16th of June I hooked up my trailer and went about 10 miles North until I reached the Dallas County Fairgrounds for the Miss Dallas County Fair Rodeo pageant. This was held all day on Friday, with the coronation to follow in pouring rain before the rodeo that night. Congratulations to Kayla Barber, the newly crowned Miss Dallas County Fair Rodeo. This pageant is especially close to me because I held this title in 2010. As Friday Night Live continued, we were able to help in the Grand Entry and chase out calves and steers for multiple events. Saturday night drew the crowd and the rain luckily held off for a nice performance. Joining Kayla and I was Miss ISU Rodeo, Abby Smith. We all had a blast showing my hometown a good time at this rodeo.
A few weeks later I traveled to Lake City to move in with Jordanne Blair, Miss Rodeo Iowa 2010 for a couple days. I joined the Top Rail saddle club and rode in the Lake City parade. Following, I was honored to being in Old Glory for the Saturday night performance. Throughout the rodeo I had a blast chasing out cattle, and signing autographs. As Sunday rolled around, I was very fortunate to help Jordanne with a special needs rodeo. It was so much fun seeing the smile spread across the contestants face as they tried their hand at roping and even barrel racing. A few hours later I saddled up again to present Old Glory for the opening ceremony and National Anthem. I spent the rest of my night tracking calves and signing boots, shirts, hats, and even a couple arms! A HUGE thank you to the Blair family for allowing me to stay with them!
I returned home late Sunday night, and headed South to Leon on Monday. The 50th Annual Leon Rodeo began with a Miss Leon Rodeo and Miss Leon Rodeo Princess pageant. Congratulations to Savanah Farrell and Anna Horn for winning those titles. On Wednesday the 4th, we all were a part of the parade which went right through Leon. I was very fortunate to ride on a "has-been" truck. Due to it being the 50th year, there was recognition of past Leon titleholers. I was the Leon Rodeo Princess in 2009, so I climbed in the truck with past queens and was recognized in the parade, and in the rodeo that night. As the first night of the rodeo went underway, I joined Kayla Barber, as well as Savanah and Anna as we led the Grand Entry and chased out for the performance and slack that night. For a fun fact, Kayla, Savanah, Anna and also Hannah Hilsabeck, Miss Teen Rodeo Iowa 2010 and I all shared a camper for the week we spent in Leon. Talk about hair spray fumes! We may have set of the fire alarm at least once.. :) We all had a great week and a successful time down in Leon as we continued to take part in the rodeo performances Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.
From Leon, I was able to kick it in my hometown once again. On Thursday July 12th, I was honored to join the Double SS Bull Company for an Extreme Bull Riding event. I was able to carry the Bullriders Of America (BOA) flag, as well as the American Flag during the National Anthem. Following, Kayla Barber and I hit the crowd to sell raffle tickets for a production shirt which was signed by all the bull riders. I also had the opportunity to sign autographs along side the bull fighters at the end of the event.
Soon after this event was over, Hannah Hilsabeck packed up and headed East for the Wapello Rodeo. I was able to be a part of the Miss Rodeo Wapello and Miss Teen Rodeo Wapello Rodeo pageant on Friday, as Hannah judged. I teamed up with the contestants and the Barnes PRCA Rodeo Company for the first rodeo performance on Friday night. On Saturday we all rode our horses through Wapello for the parade, and anxietly awaited to find out who the new Queen and Teen would be. Congratulations to Heather Morrison and Carlee Kelly for taking home the titles of Miss Rodeo Wapello and Miss Teen Rodeo Wapello. We each had a great time presenting flags and chasing out cattle during the Saturday night performance. On Sunday, Hannah and I were in for a real treat! Our host family took us out boating on the Mississippi River. We spent all day boating and tubing and soaking up some sun. Thank you to Duane, Jodie, Kale, Koby, and Kabe Boyen! Wapello was a blast!
I traveled from Wapello to Lenox where I made my steer riding debut! On Thursday July 19th, I carried the IRCA flag and chased out cattle during the first night of the performance. I was joined by Miss Rodeo Lenox 2011, Alexandra Eischeid as well as Miss Rodeo Lenox 2012, Logan Kinyon. During the day on Friday, we were able to visit a nursing home in Lenox. It was so touching to hear all the residents' stories. We made their day by visiting them, and they definately made ours as well! Just like Thursday, we saddled up to carry flags, chase out calves and steers, and sign autographs for the second performance of the Lenox rodeo. The fun began on Saturday when Logan and I were joined by Kayla Barber and Savanah Farrell. We spent the day at the local bowling alley where we enjoyed food and fun! We had the bowling alley to ourselves as the lights went down, the disco ball came up and the music started blarring. We all tried our hand, but mutually decided that we shouldn't join their bowling league. Haha :) When it wasn't our turn, we got our groove on with some swing dancing and the Two-step. That night we all had a blast as the last rodeo performance went underway. However before the action started, Logan and I had a pre-show as we tried our hand at steer riding. Neither one of us did too well but I would do it again in a heartbeat!
Back to the world of Professional Rodeo! I joined Three Hills Rodeo Company for the 3-night Carson rodeo during the first few days of August. When I arrived, I did a radio interview with a local station, and stayed busy the whole night! I was the only queen there so I did it all from mutton busting to carrying sponsor flags to chasing out cattle. I had so much fun and everyone there was great to work with! The second night was about the same as I led the Grand Entry carrying the Three Hills flag. As soon as I got out of the arena, I switched flags and went right back in to get the rodeo action started by carrying the first sponsor flag. Throughtout the night I chased out, signed autographs, carried event flags and once again helped the brave kids to their feet in the mutton busting. On the final night Anna Horn joined my side to help in chasing out and carrying flags, it was great to have a "second set of hands"! A HUGE thank you to Craig and Tammie Shellberg who let me crash at their house for the weekend!
Nothing Compares to the Iowa State Fair! Just recently I competed in the Cowgirl Queen Contest at the Iowa State Fair where I had a great time with all the fellow queens. I had a great ride and couldn't be more proud of the horse I used. The next day I headed back to the fair again to show Ollie in the Govener's Charity Steer Show. This was an experience I will never forget! Brandee Petersen graciously allowed me to show her steer Ollie and help me out in the ring. We ended up 3rd in the Top 10 so we were both extremely excited about that! Thank you to the Northwest Iowa Cattlemen's Association for sponsoring Ollie and I in this show. After the show, all the steers are sold and all the money raised goes to the Ronald McDonald Houses of Iowa. This show has been raising money for the Ronald McDonald Houses for 30 years now, and Ollie helped them reach the $2 million mark!
It's been a very busy summer but one I will never forget! I've had a blast and I'm sad to see it winding down. I'll see you all back here shortly!
God Bless!
Jenna
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
Spring Into Summer!
It seems like just yesterday I was at the Winterset Middle School for the Miss Rodeo Iowa clinic. April 14 and 15th brought girls from all across Iowa to learn the steps of becoming a rodeo queen. Jordanne Blair did a great job of organizing the clinic and it was so neat to see all the girls grow and gain confidence! I was joined by Miss Rodeo Iowa 2012, Rachel Burton as well as Miss Jr. Rodeo Iowa 2012, Emma Bair. There were so many Miss Rodeo Iowa board members and past titleholders there as well, including Miss Teen Rodeo Iowa 2010, Hannah Hilsabeck. A big thank you to Connie Weimold for all the delicious meals!
From Winterset I headed South to Fairfield, Iowa. This day was one to remember! I had the opportunity to help with a Special Needs rodeo in the morning and present Old Glory before the performance that night. This night was so special because it all began with a little girl named Addison Tarrence who was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) when she was 3 years old. All the proceeds collected that night were donated to help find a cure for SMA. A huge thank you goes out to the Smith family, Bud, Beth, Casey, Colton and Carlee. Carlee and Addison formed a bond that urged the Smith family to raise money for a cure. As owners of the Young and Wild Rodeo Company, the Smith family hosts several events throughout the year and are extremely involved in them. It was such an honor to be there and I had such a great time!
Following, I headed from the Southeast corner of Iowa towards the Northwest for the first Professional Rodeo, Cherokee! Rachel Burton and I had a fun-filled weekend, starting out with pulling kids out of mud before the Thursday night performance, literally! We enjoyed being introduced and helping during the Grand Entry Thursday night and then we worked the crowd to promote rodeo. Unfortunately the weather felt like a cold November night instead of June! Friday morning we had an early wake-up call as we joined Miss Rodeo Cherokee 2011, Kearsten Brown and Miss Rodeo Cherokee 2012, Jaci Hermstead and headed to a radio interview. Shortly after, we were all invited to a a delicious breakfast held by the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce. As the day went on, we all piled in Rachels truck and headed to a lunch held at the local Dodge showroom. Let's just say, none of us missed a meal that day! We also had the opporunity to meet many Cherokee citizens as we visited a nursing home. It was so great to talk with all the residents and hear their stories! It was such a beautiful day until it came time for the second rodeo performance, where it decided to rain. We all still had a blast through the rain though and it soon disappeared as we were once again introduced, helped with Grand Entry, and signed autographs for many of the loyal rodeo fans. Luckily we were able to sleep in the next day! Saturday brought us to a Train Depot where we watched a train robbery skit and enjoyed a lunch. It was so fun to pose in the train! Not long after, we hooked up Rachels trailer and loaded our horses as we headed a couple blocks from the rodeo grounds to line up for the parade. All our horses got pretty excited when the attention was on them walking down the street! When we reached the end, we hurried to get ready for the final rodeo performance. This night couldn't have been better as the sun was shining and the stands were full of people ready to see a great show! Cherokee was the perfect way to kick-off the rodeo season in Iowa and bring us in to the summer months!
Until next time,
Jenna
From Winterset I headed South to Fairfield, Iowa. This day was one to remember! I had the opportunity to help with a Special Needs rodeo in the morning and present Old Glory before the performance that night. This night was so special because it all began with a little girl named Addison Tarrence who was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) when she was 3 years old. All the proceeds collected that night were donated to help find a cure for SMA. A huge thank you goes out to the Smith family, Bud, Beth, Casey, Colton and Carlee. Carlee and Addison formed a bond that urged the Smith family to raise money for a cure. As owners of the Young and Wild Rodeo Company, the Smith family hosts several events throughout the year and are extremely involved in them. It was such an honor to be there and I had such a great time!
Following, I headed from the Southeast corner of Iowa towards the Northwest for the first Professional Rodeo, Cherokee! Rachel Burton and I had a fun-filled weekend, starting out with pulling kids out of mud before the Thursday night performance, literally! We enjoyed being introduced and helping during the Grand Entry Thursday night and then we worked the crowd to promote rodeo. Unfortunately the weather felt like a cold November night instead of June! Friday morning we had an early wake-up call as we joined Miss Rodeo Cherokee 2011, Kearsten Brown and Miss Rodeo Cherokee 2012, Jaci Hermstead and headed to a radio interview. Shortly after, we were all invited to a a delicious breakfast held by the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce. As the day went on, we all piled in Rachels truck and headed to a lunch held at the local Dodge showroom. Let's just say, none of us missed a meal that day! We also had the opporunity to meet many Cherokee citizens as we visited a nursing home. It was so great to talk with all the residents and hear their stories! It was such a beautiful day until it came time for the second rodeo performance, where it decided to rain. We all still had a blast through the rain though and it soon disappeared as we were once again introduced, helped with Grand Entry, and signed autographs for many of the loyal rodeo fans. Luckily we were able to sleep in the next day! Saturday brought us to a Train Depot where we watched a train robbery skit and enjoyed a lunch. It was so fun to pose in the train! Not long after, we hooked up Rachels trailer and loaded our horses as we headed a couple blocks from the rodeo grounds to line up for the parade. All our horses got pretty excited when the attention was on them walking down the street! When we reached the end, we hurried to get ready for the final rodeo performance. This night couldn't have been better as the sun was shining and the stands were full of people ready to see a great show! Cherokee was the perfect way to kick-off the rodeo season in Iowa and bring us in to the summer months!
Until next time,
Jenna
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Recap on March!
Wow, this is way past due!
I've got to say that the month of March has been one of the busiest, but most exciting! On the 1st, I had the amazing opportunity to fly down south for the Ft. Pierce rodeo in Florida. It was a special invitation for only Teen titleholders. I was joined by Miss Teen Rodeo Illinois, Mikhayla DeMott, Miss Teen Rodeo Missouri, Lorna Dreyer, Miss Teen Rodeo Idaho, Hunter Rackham, as well as Miss Teen Rodeo Kansas, Erin Harvey and Miss Teen Rodeo Texas, Grace Crews. We all flew in Thursday night and met up with Miss Teen Rodeo Florida Dariann Smith. A HUGE thank you goes out to Tom and Sandy Steinruck, our gracious "parents" for the weekend, as well as their daughter Kelly, Miss Teen Rodeo Florida 2011, who organized this whole event for all of us. Once we were all picked up from the Orlando airport we headed to Rainforest Cafe to enjoy dinner and get to know each other. That night we stayed in a very nice hotel in Orlando so we could get up and head to Disney World in the morning. Oh and by the way, the beginning of March is the time to go! Perfect weather, small crowds and short lines for rides. Around 1 o'clock that afternoon we loaded up and left for Ft. Pierce to get ready for the Friday night performance. By the time we made it home, we had about 40 minutes to get curlers in, and out of our hair, get changed, get our "queen makeup" on and get to the rodeo grounds, let me tell you, that was the quickest I think I've ever gotten ready in my life! We made it just in time though and we met up with Tom who brought the horses to the fairgrounds. It's a good thing rodeo queens know how to saddle and bridle horses because at this point we had about 15 minutes until grand entry. Get on, go, and hope your horse knows a least a little bit! It was hectic to say the least but it turned out to be a great night of carrying sponsor flags, doing queens runs, and signing autographs at the end of the rodeo. Lucky for us, the Ft. Pierce county fair was going on at this time too so we all had the opportunity to ride a camel named Tanner! It was so much fun and we joked that we should carry flags on him during the Saturday night performance. Once we got the "kid-again" out of our system we headed to our host familys' home. Mike and Mimi Brown provided their house which had rooms to hold all 7 of us, it was so nice to all be together and they were next door neighbors to Tom and Sandy. When Saturday morning rolled around, we enjoyed a fruit and pastry breakfast (with real Florida orange juice!) on the patio of the Steinruck's home. Following, we had the chance to catch a few waves on horseback, we rode in the Atlantic Ocean! It was a blast to relax and have a good time with the girls, and then race to see who had the fastest horse. :) The beach was the only thing on our agenda for the day so we all laid out and soaked up the sun. Following that we headed back to the house to be reunited with our hot curlers and colored jeans, it was time to get queened up again. Once we were all set we left to go to Cowboy's Steakhouse to meet and greet with the public and promote the rodeo that night. They also treated us to a free steak dinner which was delicious! Things were a little more relaxed as the Saturday night performance was under way. When our job was done for the night and the last autograph had been signed, our younger side came out again as we enjoyed the fairs food and rides. Grace and I decided to tackle the big blow-up slide together. We didn't want this night to end because the next day meant we had to leave, but we still had a couple tricks to try out before we decided to climb in bed. :) Sunday morning I left with Erin's family as they took me in as their own for the day. We had the same flight back to Kansas City so I spent all day with them in the airport where they taught me how to play pitch. I can definitely say beginners luck gave me a leg up in this card game ha ha!
I returned home at around 1 o'clock Monday morning, then headed to school for only a few hours because I had to come home and queen up again. I had the opportunity to meet the top people in the National High School and Junior High Rodeo Associations. A banquet was held at the Jacobson Building on the Iowa State Fairgrounds to discuss holding the National Junior High School Rodeo Finals in Des Moines during the 2014 and 2015 years. It gave me the perfect chance to promote our state and our appreciation for rodeo.
Just a few days later on March 9th, Miss Rodeo Iowa, Rachel Burton and I packed up and headed East to Burlington, Iowa for the annual Snowbull event. We were introduced and also sold raffle tickets as a fundraiser for the Extreme Bull Riding Tour and the Double S Bull Company. As the night came to a close, we went to rest up for our adventure that lay ahead the next day. Thank you to the MetcalfSnowbull performance because Rachel and I were both due for a nap! Once we were rested up, we took a short trip back to Burlington where I met up with my family, it was great seeing them there! I also had the chance to "model" as part of the entertainers act. Shawn "Boom Boom" Thompson was there and during his act he decided to try out photography.. On rodeo queens, I had a lot of fun helping him out!
The 15th of March, I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel across the country. I joined 22 students from my French class, as we flew to Paris, France. This experience was a difficult one and it made me appreciate home. Each student had their own French family that we stayed with for 10 days. My family had done some research on me and found out that I rode horses and was also Miss Teen Rodeo Iowa, however, the sport of rodeo doesn't exist in France. Describing rodeo by using the few French words that I knew came out to be an extremely difficult task, but I got the job done! Once our 10 days were over I was very happy to see my family, friends and my horse Cooper again! We flew back on my birthday, the 24th, and coming home was the best present I could've ever asked for.
For the last few days of March I was a part of the annual Iowa Horse Fair. I left school early Friday afternoon to head down to the Iowa State Fairgrounds and hang out with Rachel, as well as our third sidekick Emma Bair, Miss Jr. Rodeo Iowa. We spent our time at the Miss Rodeo Iowa booth signing autographs and informing the pubic about our organization. Saturday morning Rachel and I had more on our schedule as we helped with a Scavenger Hunt in the morning, then a Stick Horse Race following that. For the afternoon, Miss Rodeo Lenox, Alexandra Eischeid, joined Rachel, Emma and I as we spoke about ourselves, the Miss Rodeo Iowa organization, pageant, and also shared what being a rodeo queen is all about. Hopefully we inspired some girls to run for the title of Miss Jr., Miss Teen, or Miss Rodeo Iowa 2013! We spent Sunday morning at the booth again, and then Rachel and I had the opportunity to judge the appearance portion of the Iowa Horse Fair Cowgirl Queen Contest. There were some great contestants in both the Junior and Senior divisions this year! Great job to everyone who competed!
As I said, March was an eventful month but I can't express how grateful I am for it. This year has already been so much fun and I'm loving every minute of it!
Until next time,
Jenna :)
I've got to say that the month of March has been one of the busiest, but most exciting! On the 1st, I had the amazing opportunity to fly down south for the Ft. Pierce rodeo in Florida. It was a special invitation for only Teen titleholders. I was joined by Miss Teen Rodeo Illinois, Mikhayla DeMott, Miss Teen Rodeo Missouri, Lorna Dreyer, Miss Teen Rodeo Idaho, Hunter Rackham, as well as Miss Teen Rodeo Kansas, Erin Harvey and Miss Teen Rodeo Texas, Grace Crews. We all flew in Thursday night and met up with Miss Teen Rodeo Florida Dariann Smith. A HUGE thank you goes out to Tom and Sandy Steinruck, our gracious "parents" for the weekend, as well as their daughter Kelly, Miss Teen Rodeo Florida 2011, who organized this whole event for all of us. Once we were all picked up from the Orlando airport we headed to Rainforest Cafe to enjoy dinner and get to know each other. That night we stayed in a very nice hotel in Orlando so we could get up and head to Disney World in the morning. Oh and by the way, the beginning of March is the time to go! Perfect weather, small crowds and short lines for rides. Around 1 o'clock that afternoon we loaded up and left for Ft. Pierce to get ready for the Friday night performance. By the time we made it home, we had about 40 minutes to get curlers in, and out of our hair, get changed, get our "queen makeup" on and get to the rodeo grounds, let me tell you, that was the quickest I think I've ever gotten ready in my life! We made it just in time though and we met up with Tom who brought the horses to the fairgrounds. It's a good thing rodeo queens know how to saddle and bridle horses because at this point we had about 15 minutes until grand entry. Get on, go, and hope your horse knows a least a little bit! It was hectic to say the least but it turned out to be a great night of carrying sponsor flags, doing queens runs, and signing autographs at the end of the rodeo. Lucky for us, the Ft. Pierce county fair was going on at this time too so we all had the opportunity to ride a camel named Tanner! It was so much fun and we joked that we should carry flags on him during the Saturday night performance. Once we got the "kid-again" out of our system we headed to our host familys' home. Mike and Mimi Brown provided their house which had rooms to hold all 7 of us, it was so nice to all be together and they were next door neighbors to Tom and Sandy. When Saturday morning rolled around, we enjoyed a fruit and pastry breakfast (with real Florida orange juice!) on the patio of the Steinruck's home. Following, we had the chance to catch a few waves on horseback, we rode in the Atlantic Ocean! It was a blast to relax and have a good time with the girls, and then race to see who had the fastest horse. :) The beach was the only thing on our agenda for the day so we all laid out and soaked up the sun. Following that we headed back to the house to be reunited with our hot curlers and colored jeans, it was time to get queened up again. Once we were all set we left to go to Cowboy's Steakhouse to meet and greet with the public and promote the rodeo that night. They also treated us to a free steak dinner which was delicious! Things were a little more relaxed as the Saturday night performance was under way. When our job was done for the night and the last autograph had been signed, our younger side came out again as we enjoyed the fairs food and rides. Grace and I decided to tackle the big blow-up slide together. We didn't want this night to end because the next day meant we had to leave, but we still had a couple tricks to try out before we decided to climb in bed. :) Sunday morning I left with Erin's family as they took me in as their own for the day. We had the same flight back to Kansas City so I spent all day with them in the airport where they taught me how to play pitch. I can definitely say beginners luck gave me a leg up in this card game ha ha!
I returned home at around 1 o'clock Monday morning, then headed to school for only a few hours because I had to come home and queen up again. I had the opportunity to meet the top people in the National High School and Junior High Rodeo Associations. A banquet was held at the Jacobson Building on the Iowa State Fairgrounds to discuss holding the National Junior High School Rodeo Finals in Des Moines during the 2014 and 2015 years. It gave me the perfect chance to promote our state and our appreciation for rodeo.
Just a few days later on March 9th, Miss Rodeo Iowa, Rachel Burton and I packed up and headed East to Burlington, Iowa for the annual Snowbull event. We were introduced and also sold raffle tickets as a fundraiser for the Extreme Bull Riding Tour and the Double S Bull Company. As the night came to a close, we went to rest up for our adventure that lay ahead the next day. Thank you to the MetcalfSnowbull performance because Rachel and I were both due for a nap! Once we were rested up, we took a short trip back to Burlington where I met up with my family, it was great seeing them there! I also had the chance to "model" as part of the entertainers act. Shawn "Boom Boom" Thompson was there and during his act he decided to try out photography.. On rodeo queens, I had a lot of fun helping him out!
The 15th of March, I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel across the country. I joined 22 students from my French class, as we flew to Paris, France. This experience was a difficult one and it made me appreciate home. Each student had their own French family that we stayed with for 10 days. My family had done some research on me and found out that I rode horses and was also Miss Teen Rodeo Iowa, however, the sport of rodeo doesn't exist in France. Describing rodeo by using the few French words that I knew came out to be an extremely difficult task, but I got the job done! Once our 10 days were over I was very happy to see my family, friends and my horse Cooper again! We flew back on my birthday, the 24th, and coming home was the best present I could've ever asked for.
For the last few days of March I was a part of the annual Iowa Horse Fair. I left school early Friday afternoon to head down to the Iowa State Fairgrounds and hang out with Rachel, as well as our third sidekick Emma Bair, Miss Jr. Rodeo Iowa. We spent our time at the Miss Rodeo Iowa booth signing autographs and informing the pubic about our organization. Saturday morning Rachel and I had more on our schedule as we helped with a Scavenger Hunt in the morning, then a Stick Horse Race following that. For the afternoon, Miss Rodeo Lenox, Alexandra Eischeid, joined Rachel, Emma and I as we spoke about ourselves, the Miss Rodeo Iowa organization, pageant, and also shared what being a rodeo queen is all about. Hopefully we inspired some girls to run for the title of Miss Jr., Miss Teen, or Miss Rodeo Iowa 2013! We spent Sunday morning at the booth again, and then Rachel and I had the opportunity to judge the appearance portion of the Iowa Horse Fair Cowgirl Queen Contest. There were some great contestants in both the Junior and Senior divisions this year! Great job to everyone who competed!
As I said, March was an eventful month but I can't express how grateful I am for it. This year has already been so much fun and I'm loving every minute of it!
Until next time,
Jenna :)
Friday, February 17, 2012
Out With the Old, In With the New!
Hello Again!
My title became truely official on January 28th, at the Redfield Legion Hall, but not before Rachel Burton, Miss Rodeo Iowa gained her title. On January 14th, my family and I headed over to Harlan, Iowa for Rachel's coronation. During this event, there was a great catered meal, hundreds of live and silent auction items to bid on and also a wonderful ceremony to welcome Rachel as Miss Rodeo Iowa 2012. I was joined by other rodeo royalty including Kara Christensen, Miss Dallas County Fair Rodeo, Lacy Jensen, Miss Leon Rodeo Princess, Alexandra Eischeid, Miss Rodeo Lenox, Maggie Thomas, Miss Rodeo Woodbine, Emma Bair, Miss Jr. Rodeo Iowa, and Miss Teen Rodeo Iowa 2011, Charity Howk. Rachels night drew in a large crowd and I know she really appreciated it!
Two weeks later, it was my turn! I've got to say, seeing Rachel's coronation really helped me get some last minute ideas! Around 150 of my friends and family came out to support me at my coronation. There were many who had not been around horses or rodeo ever in their life time so it was a great chance for me to spread the word about our fantastic western heritage! A huge thanks to all of my committee members who helped serve food, organize auction baskets, decorate the Legion Hall, and make sure my night went smoothly. Just like Rachel's coronation, I had a meal which consisted of various soups, veggie's, and desserts. Also, I held the annual Mr. Teen Rodeo Iowa pageant and let me tell you, it was the highlight of the night! There were four contestants in the pageant, Rich Rodgers, Preston Owens, Spencer Meyer, and my brother, Jeff Kool. All of them have a great sense of humor so they definately strutted their stuff during the modleing portion of the pageant! Thank you also to my visiting royalty, Kara Christensen, Alexandra Eicheid, Charity Howk, Emma Bair and Rachel Burton. These girls helped me out by selling 50/50 raffle tickets, where half of the money raised would go to the ticket winner, and the other half back to me. The winner for the night was Bill Rhiner, who donated his half of the money back to me, thank you Bill! Towards the end of my coronation, the live auction got rolling with Shane Boston as the auctioneer. Once the last auction item had been sold, and the silent auction came to a close, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. My night had gone great and I had raised the funds I needed for my year of traveling. Thank you to everyone who helped me out that night!
Until next time, God Bless!
Jenna
My title became truely official on January 28th, at the Redfield Legion Hall, but not before Rachel Burton, Miss Rodeo Iowa gained her title. On January 14th, my family and I headed over to Harlan, Iowa for Rachel's coronation. During this event, there was a great catered meal, hundreds of live and silent auction items to bid on and also a wonderful ceremony to welcome Rachel as Miss Rodeo Iowa 2012. I was joined by other rodeo royalty including Kara Christensen, Miss Dallas County Fair Rodeo, Lacy Jensen, Miss Leon Rodeo Princess, Alexandra Eischeid, Miss Rodeo Lenox, Maggie Thomas, Miss Rodeo Woodbine, Emma Bair, Miss Jr. Rodeo Iowa, and Miss Teen Rodeo Iowa 2011, Charity Howk. Rachels night drew in a large crowd and I know she really appreciated it!
Two weeks later, it was my turn! I've got to say, seeing Rachel's coronation really helped me get some last minute ideas! Around 150 of my friends and family came out to support me at my coronation. There were many who had not been around horses or rodeo ever in their life time so it was a great chance for me to spread the word about our fantastic western heritage! A huge thanks to all of my committee members who helped serve food, organize auction baskets, decorate the Legion Hall, and make sure my night went smoothly. Just like Rachel's coronation, I had a meal which consisted of various soups, veggie's, and desserts. Also, I held the annual Mr. Teen Rodeo Iowa pageant and let me tell you, it was the highlight of the night! There were four contestants in the pageant, Rich Rodgers, Preston Owens, Spencer Meyer, and my brother, Jeff Kool. All of them have a great sense of humor so they definately strutted their stuff during the modleing portion of the pageant! Thank you also to my visiting royalty, Kara Christensen, Alexandra Eicheid, Charity Howk, Emma Bair and Rachel Burton. These girls helped me out by selling 50/50 raffle tickets, where half of the money raised would go to the ticket winner, and the other half back to me. The winner for the night was Bill Rhiner, who donated his half of the money back to me, thank you Bill! Towards the end of my coronation, the live auction got rolling with Shane Boston as the auctioneer. Once the last auction item had been sold, and the silent auction came to a close, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. My night had gone great and I had raised the funds I needed for my year of traveling. Thank you to everyone who helped me out that night!
Until next time, God Bless!
Jenna
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Lets go to Vegas!
On November 6th, I traveled East bound with Hannah Hilsabeck, Miss Teen Rodeo 2010. We gathered near Miss Rodeo Iowa 2011, Heidi Gansen's hometown to help send her off to the Miss Rodeo America pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada. During her send off, we were lucky enough to see all of the beautiful outfits Heidi would be wearing during the Miss Rodeo America pageant. In addition, Heidi also gave a practice run of the speech she would perform during her time in Las Vegas. Several of Heidi's friends and family were in attendance, and were able to bid on some great silent auction items. We all gave Heidi our luck as she headed off for the pageant in December. Although Heidi did not come home from the pageant with the title of Miss Rodeo America 2012, she still did an outstanding job! She has represented our great state, as well as the way of life we all have come to love, very well. Congrats Heidi for an awesome year and thank you for all of your hard work!
God Bless,
Jenna
God Bless,
Jenna
Monday, January 2, 2012
Let's Get Started!
I can't believe its finally here, I am no longer a "lady-in-waiting"!
It all started off on Thursday, September 8th as I checked in to the pageant, and then saddled up for the first performance of the PRCA Tri-State Rodeo in Fort Madison. As a Miss Teen Rodeo Iowa contestant, I was introduced before the rodeo officailly started, did a queen's run, and then came back a few minutes later to join the ever so crazy grand entry. Once I survived the exciting (300+ people in the arena at one time) grand entry, I hit the crowd to compete with Rachel Burton, the Miss Rodeo Iowa contestant, for the People's Choice award. We each had made a bucket prior to the pageant to collect money from the crowd for the Miss Rodeo Iowa Scholarship Fund and whoever collected the most money at the end of the pageant won the award. Rachel and I left the rodeo grounds that night at around 9 P.M. to head beack to the hotel for dance practice. During the fashion show portion of the pageant, all the conestants, along with the reigning titleholders (Heidi Gansen, Miss Rodeo Iowa 2011 and Charity Howk, Miss Teen Rodeo Iowa 2011) perform a choregraphed dance. Which, if you can imagine taking roping, riding, country girls and teaching them to dance.. it can be an interesting time! Luckily the next day wasn't too busy. Friday was the day of horsemanship. In this category, we performed a reigning pattern which consisted of several figure 8's, sliding stops and also rollbacks. Once we had completed the pattern, we were to ride over to the judges and dismount where we would be put to the test on our knowledge of horses. Each contestant was asked a variety of questions, mainly pertaining to equine, or the equine industry. Following, we mounted up again and we were judged on our "queen's wave" as well as our ability to carry a flag. That part is always my favorite! When the evening came, it was full of excitement once again as we played a part in the second performance of the Tri-State Rodeo. We were introduced, rode in the wild grand entry, and then hit the stands to collect money and finish off our Peoples Choice competition. Following the rodeo, we headed back to our hotel to practice our dance that we were to perform the next day. When morning came, (and let me tell you, it came early!) we all put curlers in our hair and got ready to head out to the rodeo grounds, grab our horses, and then run into town to saddle up for the parade. This took place on Saturday, September 10th, the day of the fashion show and coronation, but also the day that the Cyclones faced the Hawkeyes in their annual football game.. Not to mention the score of that game with the Clones coming out on top :) haha! The nerves came out when the fashion show began. We started off by giving speeches that we had prepared prior to coming to Ft. Madison which were either about Iowa, or Western Heritage. Mine ended up regarding the boots of a PRCA cowboy and the many places he had traveled, which brought him to professional rodeo. Following, Rachel Burton and I went head to head in a rodeo term trivia game. We were given a term that is associated with rodeo, and whoever "buzzed in" first, got a shot at defining the term. Next, we all scurried to change our outfits and get ready for the contestant dance which ended up to be a blast to perform! We weren't going to let the light mood and easy-going atmosphere end though as Rachel and I came back to model our "fun" outfits to the song Giddy On Up by Laura Bell Bundy. This was by far my favorite part of the pageant becuase we each got to wear comfortable and fun outfitts and show a little personality in our modeling. Once we all had a laugh, the pageant became more serious and elogant as we modeled our western style, leather dresses. Cross your fingers and say a prayer because it's coronation time! Finally, the moment we had all been waiting for arrived, and we got crowned. Rachel Burton, Miss Rodeo Iowa, myself, Miss Teen Rodeo Iowa, and last but not least Emma Bair, the first ever Miss Jr. Rodeo Iowa. The pageant had been a blast, but there was still more excitement to lay ahead! We headed to the rodeo grounds for the fnal performance and saddle up as Iowa's new rodeo royalty! We each got announced, and took part in the grand entry however instead of hitting the stands, we chased out cattle and ran sponsor flags for the various events that evening. The Tri-State rodeo had come to an end, but Rachel, Emma and I were all smiles and back at it Sunday morning as we helped out at the community breakfast that was served. We filled coffee cups, threw plates away, and had a great time socializing and getting to know the community members of Ft. Madison. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I can't wait to see how the rest of the year will unfold!
God Bless,
Jenna
It all started off on Thursday, September 8th as I checked in to the pageant, and then saddled up for the first performance of the PRCA Tri-State Rodeo in Fort Madison. As a Miss Teen Rodeo Iowa contestant, I was introduced before the rodeo officailly started, did a queen's run, and then came back a few minutes later to join the ever so crazy grand entry. Once I survived the exciting (300+ people in the arena at one time) grand entry, I hit the crowd to compete with Rachel Burton, the Miss Rodeo Iowa contestant, for the People's Choice award. We each had made a bucket prior to the pageant to collect money from the crowd for the Miss Rodeo Iowa Scholarship Fund and whoever collected the most money at the end of the pageant won the award. Rachel and I left the rodeo grounds that night at around 9 P.M. to head beack to the hotel for dance practice. During the fashion show portion of the pageant, all the conestants, along with the reigning titleholders (Heidi Gansen, Miss Rodeo Iowa 2011 and Charity Howk, Miss Teen Rodeo Iowa 2011) perform a choregraphed dance. Which, if you can imagine taking roping, riding, country girls and teaching them to dance.. it can be an interesting time! Luckily the next day wasn't too busy. Friday was the day of horsemanship. In this category, we performed a reigning pattern which consisted of several figure 8's, sliding stops and also rollbacks. Once we had completed the pattern, we were to ride over to the judges and dismount where we would be put to the test on our knowledge of horses. Each contestant was asked a variety of questions, mainly pertaining to equine, or the equine industry. Following, we mounted up again and we were judged on our "queen's wave" as well as our ability to carry a flag. That part is always my favorite! When the evening came, it was full of excitement once again as we played a part in the second performance of the Tri-State Rodeo. We were introduced, rode in the wild grand entry, and then hit the stands to collect money and finish off our Peoples Choice competition. Following the rodeo, we headed back to our hotel to practice our dance that we were to perform the next day. When morning came, (and let me tell you, it came early!) we all put curlers in our hair and got ready to head out to the rodeo grounds, grab our horses, and then run into town to saddle up for the parade. This took place on Saturday, September 10th, the day of the fashion show and coronation, but also the day that the Cyclones faced the Hawkeyes in their annual football game.. Not to mention the score of that game with the Clones coming out on top :) haha! The nerves came out when the fashion show began. We started off by giving speeches that we had prepared prior to coming to Ft. Madison which were either about Iowa, or Western Heritage. Mine ended up regarding the boots of a PRCA cowboy and the many places he had traveled, which brought him to professional rodeo. Following, Rachel Burton and I went head to head in a rodeo term trivia game. We were given a term that is associated with rodeo, and whoever "buzzed in" first, got a shot at defining the term. Next, we all scurried to change our outfits and get ready for the contestant dance which ended up to be a blast to perform! We weren't going to let the light mood and easy-going atmosphere end though as Rachel and I came back to model our "fun" outfits to the song Giddy On Up by Laura Bell Bundy. This was by far my favorite part of the pageant becuase we each got to wear comfortable and fun outfitts and show a little personality in our modeling. Once we all had a laugh, the pageant became more serious and elogant as we modeled our western style, leather dresses. Cross your fingers and say a prayer because it's coronation time! Finally, the moment we had all been waiting for arrived, and we got crowned. Rachel Burton, Miss Rodeo Iowa, myself, Miss Teen Rodeo Iowa, and last but not least Emma Bair, the first ever Miss Jr. Rodeo Iowa. The pageant had been a blast, but there was still more excitement to lay ahead! We headed to the rodeo grounds for the fnal performance and saddle up as Iowa's new rodeo royalty! We each got announced, and took part in the grand entry however instead of hitting the stands, we chased out cattle and ran sponsor flags for the various events that evening. The Tri-State rodeo had come to an end, but Rachel, Emma and I were all smiles and back at it Sunday morning as we helped out at the community breakfast that was served. We filled coffee cups, threw plates away, and had a great time socializing and getting to know the community members of Ft. Madison. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I can't wait to see how the rest of the year will unfold!
God Bless,
Jenna
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