Miss Rodeo America 2008 Pageant

Happy Birthday Wrangler!

It was a late night, but the annual Fashion Show did not disappoint anyone in attendance.

Guests were greeted by a giant, blow-up birthday cake proclaiming "Happy 60th Birthday, Wrangler!" as they stepped of the escalator.  A social hour was held were many old friendships were renewed and new friendships made.

After the guests were seated, Master of Ceremonies Tim Fuller introduced up and Miss Kaley Caperton of Texas to sing the National Anthem.  New Mexico National Director Wilma Fulgham gave a touching prayer prior to dinner.  The evenings menu included salad, fork-tender steak, scalloped potatoes and steamed vegetables.  Mini birthday cakes emblazoned with the Wrangler patch were served for dessert.

During dinner Tim and PRCA Announcer Matt West auctioned off a set of "Mystery Boxes" as a fund raiser for Miss Rodeo America, Inc.  Texas State Director Marjorie Murphy gathered surprise items into three boxes and bidders could select one, two or all three of the boxes.  The bidding was fierce as Tim took bids and Matt urged the audience to bid high.  In the end, Mr. Red Wilk purchased all three boxes for a substantial donation to MRA, Inc.  To his families delight, a trip to the Miss Rodeo Texas Pageant, a coral necklace, tickets to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and more were discovered within the boxes.

Reigning Miss Rodeo America Ashley Andrews reported from the event for the "Miss Rodeo America News".  Tim Fuller played the legendary designer to the cowboys Rodeo Ben.  He spoke of the past, including the birth of the legendary Wrangler 13MWZ jean.

Throughout the evening a video tribute and history was given of the Wrangler brand.  Mr. Bill Hervey played an integral part in the building of the Wrangler brand and he shared many stories about the development of the product line.  When the jeans were first sold they could be purchased for a mere $3.99.  The first person to endorse the new jean was rodeo legend Jim Shoulders.  His wife, Sharon, would later play an important role in the development of the Wrangler women's line.  In 1974 the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association named the 13MWZ as the official jean of the association.

Kaley Caperton performed three numbers including "When Country Wasn't Cool" by Barbara Mandrel and an out of this world "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".  Ms. Caperton is also and aspiring song writer and wrote a tribute to Wrangler's 60th birthday entitled "In My Jeans".  She debuted the song at this year's fashion show.

The Miss Rodeo America contestants performed high energy dances to musical medleys which included, "R E S P E C T", "House of Blue Lights", and "Achey Breaky Heart".  All of the clothing, accessories and boots were donated to the contestants by Wrangler, the Chambers Belt Company and Justin Boots.   Ashley and Time took their turn on the dance floor with a medley including a waltz, a two-step and an electrifying swing number. 

Ashley then came on stage for "The Ashley Andrews Show".  A spoof of popular shows such as "The Tonight Show", Ashley bantered with the crowd, hosted an "Identify the Wrangler Butt" photo contest, and interviewed Phil McAdams, president of Wrangler.  During her interview with Mr. McAdams special guest Marilyn Monroe graced the stage and sang "Happy Birthday" to Wrangler.  During her show Ashley had her own Top Six Reasons to Wear Wranglers" list (the writers are on strike, so six was all we got!).

It is tradition to announce the inductees into the Miss Rodeo America Hall of Fame during the Fashion Show.  Committee member and Wrangler employee Sherry Smith introduced Hall of Fame Member Bob Tallman who announced the 2007 inductee - "Wrangler".  Mr. Hervey, Mrs. Shoulders, Mr. McAdams, Mr. Karl Stressman, Mr. Joe Hertz, Mr. Kevin Walsh, Mr. Dan Reeves and other members of the Wrangler family accepted the award on behalf of the brand.

The final dance number of the evening showcased the talents of Ashley and her gang as they performed to "Me and My Gang".  Following a rousing round of applause, Wrangler endorsee Susie Dobbs entertained the audience with a few of her hit songs. 

The highly anticipated Western Elegance portion of the fashion show had arrived.  Ashley modeled a beautiful beaded gown and was followed by twenty-seven state representatives in a variety of colors and styles.  At the end, each contestant walked amongst the tables as "How 'Bout Them Cowgirls" played and photos of them wearing their Wrangler jeans out and about were shown on the big screens.

The evening ended with Ashley entering the room on the back of Troy Lerwell's motorcycle to the song "Rock this Party".  The contestants were joined on stage by many Wrangler endorsees including Sherry Cervi, Boyd Polhamus and others to sing Happy Birthday to Wrangler.

Once again, the evening was a success and plans are already underway for the 2009 Miss Rodeo America Fashion Show.  To see photos from the event, please visit the website of professional photographer John Shooter at http://www.shooterenterprises.com.

Thank you to committee chair Kiki Shumway, Kate Rumford and Lori McKettrick (co-chairs), Stephanie Hedin, Linda Ebest, Marjorie Murphy, Dale Harman, Nicole Cypers, Ina Ginsberg, Jim Peer, Cindy & Red Wilk, Sherry Smith, Kathy Shumway, Deborah Tucker, DeShannon Davis and Amber Riesterer for their work on the committee.  The choreographer of the event was LauraLyn Kofford and, she was assisted by Casey Balding.  Escorts were Phil McAdams, Karl Stressman, Joe Hertz, Kevin Walsh and Dan Reeves.  Royal Arena Table sponsors included Wrangler, Red Wilk Construction, Landstrom's Original Black Hills Gold Creations, Miss Rodeo America Scholarship Foundation and Friends, Arlene Kensinger, Justin Boot Company, Shumway Farms, John E. Cavey and Pat J. Thompson and state Miss Rodeo Associations Texas, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, New Mexico, South Dakota, Washington, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Nevada, Arzona, and Florida.

Floyd... Top Horse at the 2008 MRA Horsemanship Competition

It might not be much of a name; but Floyd is a pretty darn good horse.   Of the 14 horses selected for the horsemanship competition, "horse" judges Gary Rempel and Jason Bottoms agreed that it was a pretty even pen, and that there were "four or five of them" that could have been the top horse. 

However, it was the #4 horse, "FLOYD" that took the honors.  A smaller sorrel with a star, Floyd was ridden by Miss Rodeo Mississippi, Miss Rodeo Alabama, Miss Rodeo Wyoming, and Miss Rodeo Arizona.

So what were the horse judges looking for?  According to Gary and Jason, it was a combination of how well the horse handled, how consistent he was from ride to ride, and the horse's talent.  Of all of the horses, they said, "Floyd" was the most honest with all of his riders and very consistent.   

Floyd is owned by Bob Barnes... and besides Bob probably no one was happier than Bronc Rumford, who just happened to sell that horse to Bob.    As the owner of the top horse, Mr. Barnes received a plaque and a check from Absorbine, presented by Tara Rowe at the PRCA Luncheon.

Behind the Horsemanship Scenes

Have you ever wondered how the horses are selected for the horsemanship competition and where they come from?

Prior to Monday’s horsemanship competition, Bronc and Kate Rumford, along with Jeana Allen, go to the barns at the Thomas and Mack and look over all of the horses that the stock contractors bring for WNFR grand entry horses.  Because the AQHA is our sponsor, they make sure that all of the horses are registered American Quarter Horses.  They ride the horses a few times and make their initial selection.  Bronc Rumford also meets with each stock contractor to make sure they are all right with the horses being used at a different facility (all of the horses are hauled to the South Point’s Equestrian Center).  This year, 16 horses were selected, including a few that had been used in previous years in the horsemanship competition.

Monday morning at 4:30AM, the horsemanship committee leaves the Orleans to go to the barns and get the horses.  The horses were all saddled at the barns and then loaded onto trailers and hauled to the South Point.  Two of the horses chosen were for Ashley Andrews to choose from.  That left 14 horses left for the draw.  The committee then rides each of them at least once, to see how they are behaving that way and acquaint them with the surroundings.  After that, each horse is ridden one at a time in a simulated pattern.  Jeana Allen and Bronc Rumford watch each horse go and give final approval on each horse.

After warming up the horses and selecting them, committee members add the horses' draw numbers to their hips, groom them and make sure they are all ready to go.  Amanda Jenkins, Miss Rodeo America 2006, applies Absorbine products to the manes and tails to each horse to finish the grooming process.

The saddles used are all identical court’s saddles, and all of the saddle pads are the same.  This year, since they only have 12 saddles but had 14 horses, there was also a lot of tack-switching going on in between.  The horses’ bridles are their own; however, the reins are changed so that all of the reins are identical.

Once the competition is over, all of the horses are loaded back onto trailers and go back to the Thomas & Mack; they are unsaddled, brushed, put away in their stalls and fed.  We thank all of the contractors who supplied horses for the competition, and a big thank you to the entire horsemanship committee for the great job in finding a quality group of horses for the girls to ride and putting on a great competition!

PRCA Luncheon Includes Rodeo Knowledge and Presentations

The annual PRCA Luncheon showcased the immense rodeo knowledge the twenty-seven contestants must have to do their public relations jobs well.  Held at the South Point Hotel, the event began with a parade of colorful beauties led by two-time 20X Extreme Talent Contest winner Brett Hall.  Hall, a former NHSRA competitor from Lexington, NE, is an up and coming Country and Christian Music Entertainer.  Each contestant wore her state chaps with matching blouses and the bling was immense.

Tim Fuller, the voice of Miss Rodeo America, and reigning Miss Rodeo America Ashley Andrews called each contestant to the stage to answer her question.  They also entertained the audience with a few stories of Ashley's adventures as Miss Rodeo America.  This year the questions were single words or phrases in which the contestant had to expand upon.  Examples include "Cheyenne, WY", "Grated Coconut" and "Kyle Whitaker".  The contestants were as cool as cucumbers as they shared their knowledge of these topics with the judges and audience.

Following the invocation by Dale Woodard of Canon City, CA guests enjoyed a delicious pork chop lunch complete with banana cheesecake.

Keith Martin, Interim CEO and Chairman of the Board for the PRCA, addressed the contestants and congratulated them on their achievements.  In addition to his service to the PRCA, Mr. Martin remains the CEO of the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo.  He presented a check for  $10,000 on behalf of the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo to the Miss Rodeo America Scholarship Foundation.  A live auction, sold by famed stock contractor Harry Vold, raised another $1,075 for the foundation.  Bids were accepted for Wrangler NFR tickets and a signed and numbered pair of Tough Enough to Wear Pink chinks.

Tara Graham-Rowe, West Coast Regional Sales Manager for W.F. Young, Inc., presented the Top Horse award to Iowa stock contractor Bob Barnes.  Mr. Barnes was one of the stock contractors who provided horses for the Miss Rodeo America contestants to ride during the horsemanship portion of the pageant. 

Another presentation was made to event sponsors John E. Cavey and Pat J. Thompson for their continued support of the Miss Rodeo America program.  Ashley shared her stories of spending time with John and Pat while at the Denver Western Stock Show.  Each Miss Rodeo America contestant, along with their chaperones, received commemorative jackets from John and Pat.

One lucky guest from each table received a door prize from Montana Silversmiths.  Judy Wagner of Montana Silversmiths was also a special guest at the event.

After the luncheon and presentations, the contestants headed back to The Orleans to put the finishing touches on tonight's fashion show gala.  "Happy Birthday Wrangler", the theme for this year's event, is sure to bring a lot of surprises to those in attendance.

Gifts Galore

When the contestants checked in on Saturday and then moved into their rooms, they found their rooms already full with gifts from the generosity of many companies throughout the western industry.  Prior to their arrival in Las Vegas, each Miss Rodeo America Pageant contestant received a gift certificate from Wrangler, Media Guide from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and Rule Book from the Professional Women's Barrel Racing. 

Kelsea Walker, Miss Rodeo Illinois, and Amanda Eason, Miss Rodeo Iowa, show off the limited edition Miss Rodeo America guitars they received from Copley Instruments.  Each guitar is emblazoned with the Miss Rodeo America Pageant and Wrangler logos burnt into the wood.  Upon seeing her gift, Amanda exclaimed 'I've always wanted a guitar!'.   

Also found in their rooms were clothing items from Wrangler, Lady Justin Vintage Boots from Justin Boot Company and Belts from Chambers Belt Company, all of which will be worn during the Tuesday night Fashion Show.

The contestants also received:

• Special Handcrafted Pendant from Landstorm's Black Hills Gold Creations
• Absorbine Products from W. F. Young Inc.
• Briefcase from Buck's Bags
• Jewelry gift from West  & Company, Inc.
• Gifts from Brandy Parfums, Ltd.
• Lip Sense Products from Ina Ginsberg
• Wrangler Bandanas
• Gift from American Buffalo Knife & Tool
• Thank You Notes from Leanin' Tree
• Bible from the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys
• Western Art Print and Special Note Cards from Western Horseman Magazine
• Contestant Gift Bag from Boyd Gaming
• Special Gift from Mr. Red Wilk & Family
• Buckle from Rogers/Whitley Company
• Wrangler Aura CD
• Collapsible Trash/Laundry Bag by Professional's Choice Sports Medicine Products, Inc.
• Wrangler NFR Logo T-Shirt from Main Gate, Inc.
• Clutch Purse from Yak Pak Imports
• Leather Gloves from Wells Lamont
• Certificate of Participation from Miss Rodeo America, Inc.
• Official Miss Rodeo America Pageant Program from Miss Rodeo America, Inc.

It's time to cowgirl up!

It's Monday and it's the day the 27 contestants will showcase their horsemanship skills at the beautiful South Point Equestrian Center.  Horses are provided by PRCA Stock Contractors and have been used in the rodeo arena as pick up horses and to move livestock, and outside of the rodeo arena to move livestock and to compete on.  There is no time to warm up the horses, contestants simply get on, adjust their stirrups and ride.  The first go-round pattern is a set pattern but the second pattern is up to the contestant and must include a set of maneuvers as outlined in the rulebook.  They have two minutes to showcase their skills.  Here's a glimpse of what will happen today, provided by official pageant videographer Tom House:

http://prorodeo.rodeoup.com/kickapps/service/displayMediaPlayPage.kickAction?mediaType=VIDEO&mediaId=50219&as=3808

Later today we'll fill you in on all that happened.

It's time! The Miss Rodeo America 2008 Pageant has Begun

Twenty-seven western beauties checked into the 2008 Miss Rodeo America Pageant this morning at The Orleans Hotel and Casino.  Joined by Ashely Andrews, Miss Rodeo America 2008, the contestants turned in their tickets for the Miss Rodeo America Scholarship Foundation drawings and were then introduced to the audience.  Chaperon Debbie Dilley had the honor of introducing each state titleholder as Ashley presented official state banners to each representative.

Following the introductions, which were held in the Gator Lounge this year, contestants were taken for lunch.  At 1:00 they joined parents, pageant personnel and other guests in the Showroom for the official orientation.  MRA, Inc Executive Board President Tracy Damrell introduced members of the Executive Board on stage and then turned the program over to MRA Executive Director Raeana Wadhams.  She continued with introductions of the judges and pageant personnel. Media Director Sue Lynn Perry covered information concerning media and the contestants, then Raeana conducted the official business portion of the orientation required of the pageant.  Each contestant introduced themselves and their hometowns to the audience.

The contestants are required to wear a Wrangler brand pant product and blouse to check in.  An array of colors were represented, including greens, yellows, salmons, purples and the basics of black, white and chocolate.  Some contestants chose traditional five-pocket Wranglers while others wore suede or classic polyester dress pants.  No matter their choice, each looked spectacular in their chosen color and the judges have their work cut out for them.

As part of the official business portion of the orientation two parent representatives were selected to be members of the "Draw" committee.  Just like rodeo, the order of competition for each judged event is drawn for. 

The contestants are now moving into their rooms.  They are paired together, and you can imagine the amount of clothing, boots, hats and other accessories two queens can have for a week-long competition!  Tracy Damrell remarked that a chiropractor should be put on staff for the parents after moving their daughters in.  After they are all in, the contestants will have a casual dinner in the contestant suite followed by the first rehearsal for the Tuesday night fashion show.   Their parents will enjoy a parent social which will include members of the Executive Board and Ashley's parents.

Tomorrow morning the contestants will start their day early with breakfast followed by a day of personal interviews, photogenic photo sittings and the taping of their one-minute media interview.  In the evening they will attend the Miss Rodeo America Scholarship Foundation Dinner, take a written test and have a few more minutes of dance practice before heading off to bed and getting a good nights sleep prior to the Horsemanship competition.

Your blog team is looking forward to bringing you the exciting action of the Miss Rodeo America 2008 Pageant.  We have several special interest interviews planned and we'll be speaking with each contestant throughout the week.  Please check back often as we'll be updating posts with photos and adding information daily.  We'll do our best to keep you on the edge of your seat as we await the announcement of Miss Rodeo America 2008.

Cowboy Church at the Miss Rodeo America Pageant

There will be a Cowboy Church service Sunday morning, December 2 at 10:00 am in The Orleans Showroom for parents, guests and pageant personnel attending the 2008 Miss Rodeo America Pageant.  Trish Lenihan, Director of Circle C Ranch Ministries in Bismark, ND will conduct the service.  In addition to the music and message by Trish there will be several testimonies by contestants and other Wrangler NFR personnel.

Trish has formally served on the Board of Directors for bot the Miss Rodeo America and Miss Rodeo North Dakota pageants, and has been active in the Cowboy Church Ministries at Cheyenne Frontier Days, the National Western in Denver, Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, National High School Finals Rodeo and the National Little Britches Rodeo Finals.In addition to her years of independent ministry, she worked for the Billy Graham Association; she was Lifleline Director of Youth for Christ and a National Representative for Christan Women's Club/Stonecroft Ministries.

Through the years Trish has recorded three country gospel albums.  After the September 11th terrorist attack on our nation, she made a special recording of just two songs, one of patriotism, "God Bless America Again", and the other of healing for the soul, "Stronger Than Before".

Now, having returned to the ranch, she conducts seminars, conferences, God and Country Rallies (evangelistic outreaches on horseback complete with covered wagon) and takes as many outside speaking and singing engagements as possible.

Circle C Ranch was established for the purpose of reaching people who would never walk into a church, but would come to a rodeo clinic, horse camp or maybe even a bible study.  For more information on Trish and the ministry of Circle C Ranch, please visit their website.

Talk to Ashley Andrews, Miss Rodeo America 2007

On Wednesday evening, November 28, Ashley will be a guest on Talk Rodeo Live by WRM.  You can listen to the interview live at http://www.talkrodeo.info.  Ashley will be on beginning at 7 pm MDT, or 8 pm CDT.  You can listen to a short pre-interview by visiting the site now.

Send Your Well Wishes to Contestants

Well wishes and notes of encouragement can be sent to contestants in the 2008 Miss Rodeo America pageant at missrodeopageant@yahoo.com.

PLEASE PUT THE CONTESTANT'S STATE IN THE SUBJECT LINE

All messages will be read by committee members of Miss Rodeo America, Inc to ensure the appropriateness of the message before being passed on to contestants.  Every effort is made to print off and deliver messages in a timely manner, however circumstances may prevent the receiving of messages.  When sending a message please keep in mind that contestants DO NOT have access to email during the pageant, nor would they have time to answer emails if they did have access.

If you have questions regarding this service, please contact committee chair Bobbie Hinds at missrodeopageant@yahoo.com.