2011 SD State Rodeo Ambassadors

August 23, 2011 | State 4H Rodeo | 1

A Special publication of the Capital Journal

State 4-H Rodeo

Amba� ado�

Celebrating the past

39 Ambassadors

August 23, 2011 | State 4H Rodeo | 32 | State 4H Rodeo | August 23, 2011

Competing in a rodeo queen contest takes dedication, knowledge, and a love for the sport of rodeo. You will � nd that every contest will be run a bit di� erently according to the coordinator and what is expected of their title holder. Even though they are di� erent, most contests will expect their contestants to compete in a variety of categories. Here is a synopsis of those categories.

horsemanshipMany people feel like this is the most impor-tant category of the competition. Horseman-ship is what sets the rodeo queen apart from the beauty queen. How well can you work with a 1200 pound partner? You will be judged on all areas of your riding abilities. � ese areas can include memorizing a rein-ing pattern and executing it well, buzzing around the arena and connecting with the audience, carrying a � ag, and pushing calves.

interviewsHow well can you handle conversation with a small group of judges? Questions on just about every aspect of your life can be asked. Having a good foundation of knowledge is the key to having a good interview. � ey will also judge your ability to react to unusual questions. Having con� dence in your abili-ties is important in the interview process.

You could have separate interviews for personality/current events, and for horse-manship.

personalityHaving a personality that can adapt from a group of grade school children to business men at a luncheon is an important aspect of a good rodeo queen. She must be able to relate and interact with all types of people. � is is her job. Judges will look for a girl with intelligence, who is warm and friendly, who has an interest in the world around her, and who has a good sense of humor.

appearanceA picture is worth a 1000 words! It is every little girl’s dream to become a rodeo queen. � is dream begins when she sees the beauti-ful smiling queens while attending a rodeo. Appearance is not just having expensive western clothing, it is the whole package. Hair, make up, hands and nails, accessories, poise, and countenance will all come into play while judging the appearance of a girl. Clothing should always be western styled, must � t well, and be clean and well pressed. Coordinating and clean hats, boots, and belts are also very important to a well-dressed queen. Don’t forget to make sure that your horse is also well groomed and cared for! A smile is always the best accessory!

photogenicHow well does your personality shine through in photographs? � e judges usually are looking for the “All American Cowgirl” when judging photogenic. � ey want a genuine smile, a sparkle in the eyes, and a girl who “looks the part” of a rodeo queen.

public speakingSPEECHESSpeaking in front of a crowd can be an intimidating idea. A well prepared and well delivered speech can show your personal-ity and ability to communicate an idea to a crowd. Each contest will have their own speech topic, time limit, and other rules that govern the speech category.IMPROMPTU QUESTIONSMost girls will say that this is their hardest category of a rodeo queen pageant! How well do you think “o� of the top of your head?” Questions just about every subject can be asked. � ese questions show your ability to think on your feet and how you will react to interviews while in the public view.

misc. categoriesMODELINGKnowing how to walk and sit with poise and con� dence is in important as a rodeo queen. You could be modeling in a variety of west-

ern wear out� ts during a contest. A queen may also � nd herself modeling for di� erent sponsors during her reign.

TESTSMany contests will have a written or arena test. � ese are administered to test the knowledge of the contestant and will usu-ally focus on rodeo knowledge and current events.

TICKET SALESGetting the public out to the rodeo is what keeps our sport alive. Most contests will not include this as part of the overall points, but will give an extra award for it. In the past, this was the category that determined the queen!

congeniality� is is usually the most coveted award of a competition. It is not part of the judged categories as the other contestants will vote for the girl of their choice. A genuine, sincere and fun girl is what the other contestants look for. � e girl who sees the good in others, does not brag or complain during competition, and is having the best experi-ence of her life will usually earn the votes of her competitors.

It takes more than a horse to be an Ambassador

1971Nancy (Hanson) Kutz

Highmore, SD

1972Renee (Kost) Sutton

Eagle Butte, SD

1973Bobbie (Burton) Huxtable

Red Owl, SD

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1974Mary (Hoffman) Habeck

St. Onge, SD

1975Becky (Warne) Canesse

Rapid City, SD

1976Kathy (Schamens) Monnens

Hazel, SD

1977Marcia (Luedtke) Webb

Rapid City, SD

1978Melody Maher-Hackett

Pierre, SD

1979Diane (Mackeben) Reiter

Belle Fourche, SD

No Photo available

No Photo available

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1980Becky (Nylander) Tennant

Lebanon, SD

1981Nancy (Hoar) Mee

Rapid City, SD

1982Barb (Schmid) Olson

Rapid City, SD

1983LoRae (Morf) Snyder

Rapid City, SD

1984Tami (Oja) Davies

Buffalo, SD

1985Kristie (Hoggarth) Hemiller

Watertown, SD

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1986Sherry (Maher) Taylor

Pierre, SD

1987Kristie (VanWell) Binger

Henry, SD

1988Kayla (Korkow) Hiller

Pierre, SD

1989Tonya (Dewey) Nicolaisen

Box Elder, SD

1990Kalli (Gilman) Spicer

Kennebec, SD

1991Erin (Gebhart) Retzer

Winner, SD

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1992Julie Kebach-Jackson

Pierre, SD

1993Heather Coleman

Springfield, SD

1994Tracie (Bowden) Hammerstrom

Huron, SD

1995Jessica (Melvin) Moore

Pierre, SD

1996Jennifer Uherka

Wagner, SD

1997Lori (Cowan) Conroy

Pierre, SD

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1998Jackie (Van Duysen) Beeson

Wagner, SD

1999Carmen ColePiedmont, SD

2000Jennifer Ruzsa

Selby, SD

2001Kristen (Kalt) Mernaugh

Mansfield, SD

2002Annie (Oakley) Huber

Rockham, SD

2003Trisha Smeenk

Newell, SD

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2004Kate Moen

Sisseton, SD

2005Courtney Smith

Rapid City, SD

2006Brittni Decker

Huron, SD

2007Courtney Peterson

Sisseton, SD

2008Kelly Jo PageArtesian, SD

2009Kristina Maddocks

Hecla, SD