Rodeo Queen Competition seeks to preserve Western heritage
Marc Buckhout ~ Managing Editor ~ 1/13/2010

It’s a competition that calls on its participants to saddle up and get all gussied up.
Contestants also will be quizzed to make sure they know what’s up in the world of rodeo.
As the application deadline approaches, Feb. 1, event director Louise Ross is looking for females, ranging in age from 15-24, up for the challenge of being part of the Fiesta Days Rodeo Queen Pageant.
“I want to get more girls signed up,” she said. “Keeping rodeo and the equestrian lifestyle alive is important. It’s a part of our tradition, our history. Whether you win or lose it’s a great experience. It’s definitely competitive, but there’s a great sisterhood among the girls that compete. Everybody helps every one out. You make friends with people that have common goals. They’ll make you better by challenging you. They aren’t ones that drag you down.”
After earning the title as 2009 Fiesta Days Queen New River resident Nicole Fisher has spent the last year serving the rodeo community in numerous ways. She said the experience has been invaluable.
“I was always into showing horses, but I didn’t know all that much about rodeo,” Fisher acknowledged. “I’ve learned so much. It’s intense and exciting and it has been great to promote the cowboys and rodeo itself. It is part of our history so it just makes sense that we’d want to keep it going strong.”
Fisher said this past year’s experience has made her want to continue as she is preparing for another Arizona competition once her reign as Fiesta Days Queen comes to a close.
At the highest level young women can compete in the Ms. Rodeo U.S.A. Pageant where college scholarships are available.
Her role as Rodeo Queen includes many tasks.
“About one weekend a month you’re really, really busy,” she said. “You go to rodeo committee meetings regularly, because you can’t just show up and be a pretty face. You have to know what’s going on.”
At rodeos around the state Fisher said she fills in wherever she is needed.
“My job is to help the rodeo committee,” she said. “Sometimes you help push cattle. Sometimes you’re in the crowd selling raffle tickets. It’s fun. You get to talk to people and help get the crowd (fired) up.”
With the competition set for March 6, at the Silver Spur Saloon, Ross said she is looking to get more girls involved in the competition.
To accomplish that goal this year’s competition will see two winners crowned, a Queen, ranging in age from 18 – 24, and then a Teen Queen for contestants ranging in age from 15 – 17.
“The girls that compete will gain self confidence and learn a great deal about themselves,” Ross said.
As for the competition Ross said fans will see quite a show.
“The girls will do a song and dance number, they’ll give a speech, they answer questions from the committee,” she said. “They’ll show that they can handle a horse. People will also get to see them model and show off their poise. It’s a beautiful event between the outfits they wear and everything else.”
Ross doesn’t choose the winner, but she knows the traits that the judges will be looking for.
“We want a girl who will represent rodeo well, one that can thrive in the lime light, but also one that can work with a horse and move cows,” she said. “We want a girl that can work, but can turn around and look gorgeous, act professional and promote rodeo.”
The horsemanship and interview portion of the competition will take place at the Cave Creek Memorial Rodeo grounds. Admission will be free. The speech and modeling competitions will be at Frontier Town in Cave Creek with a dinner and silent auction included in the festivities.
The winner, which will be determined by the scoring of the judges, will then reign over both local rodeos, Fiesta Days in April and the Wayne Wilson Children’s Charity Rodeo and Carnival in October.
For applications for the competition, tickets to the pageant or information about volunteering or donating contact Ross at 602-743-4348 or DFCAQueenDirector@yahoo.com. Information about the rodeo can be found at www.cavecreekrodeo.com or by calling 480-488-4043.