Rodeo Queens and Jeans By Laura Sumrall
Yep, that is it… my new go-to hashtag after the last few weeks of travel. To say I have learned a lot in the last couple of weeks would be an understatement. Although I received my crown as Miss Rodeo Mississippi in January, I did not officially start my travels until now. And with a late start, I think it is safe to say that I received a crash-course in “queening.”
Most of the girls already knew each other, and they graciously took me under their wings and taught me the ins-and-outs of being a rodeo queen on the go. Now I know some may think rodeo queens are just there to look pretty, but let me assure you, there is much more to us than hairspray and makeup, although we do go through a lot of that too. Over the past few weeks, we came in late from performances and woke up early for 5 am pancake breakfasts in Nampa, Idaho, at the Snake River Stampede. We made sponsor visits to the local Dodge dealership and put on a “Buckaroo Rodeo” with stick horse races and broncs made out of miniature seesaws. We went to dance practices for “Pink on the Dirt,” a breast cancer awareness luncheon, and modeled fashion forward outfits with the amazing ladies who had battled and overcome breast cancer in their lives. And those are just a few of the many things we did there in Nampa. We also had the privilege of being a part of the parade and the 100th Year Celebration of the Snake River Stampede, and that parade is one of the largest horse parades ever! I was incredibly impressed to see so many people there with all of their horses. There were people in traditional garb all the way to the rodeo queens, state and local. And have you ever heard of “Butt Bouquets?” I had not until I joined the crew in Idaho. They place big flowered bouquets on the horse’s rear, just behind your saddle, and each bouquet matches your outfit! It was so much fun. I also got to watch the Stampeders, an
incredibly impressive drill team, and the only drill team to have been invited to perform at the NFR. They perform at high speed in the pitch-black dark with their bodies and their horses wrapped in lights. Incredible is an understatement. Those riders are both brave and talented. We had one day off while in Idaho where Miss Rodeo Idaho’s family took us on a plane ride to breakfast and a sturgeon fishing trip. Here is where my hashtag truly comes into play. So if you tell a bunch of rodeo queens, “Hey, we are going fishing!” What do we do? We put on our Wrangler jeans and head out. It is Wranglers all around for us. After nine days in Idaho, the girls and I drove to Cheyenne, Wyoming, for the “Daddy of ‘Em All,” the Cheyenne Frontier Days. The organizers made us feel incredibly welcome from the very beginning. We stayed with people who graciously offered to house us during our stay. Each day was a little different. We were part of a pancake breakfast one morning, flipping pancakes off the griddle that sat high on a wagon and down below were “catchers” with trays. That day, the pancake breakfast fed over 8,000 people. It was amazing. We also attended the Cowgirls of the West Brunch, the parades in downtown, the Thunderbird Air Show, and made numerous sponsor visits each day. And the best part of it all was our fly-bys. At most rodeos, we do a run all the way around the arena, but in Cheyenne, there is a track that runs directly in front of the grandstands, which are enormous to say the least. So on my designated day, I got to ride my fly-by on a horse that was graciously provided. I started at one end of the track and finished a good 30 seconds later as we waved to the huge crowd that has come to watch one of the greatest rodeos of our time. It was both thrilling and humbling to be there at such a prestigious place, representing my state, the beautiful state of Mississippi. After a trip of a lifetime, all I can think to say is… Long Live Cowgirls.
August | September 2015 • Louisiana Equine Report
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