August has come and gone...

So, you know how I said that the last post would be longest in rodeo queen history, here I am trying to beat my own record, with another very (very, very, very) long post of my travels through the summer months of August and September! After Atlantic, we made the trek south, to Kearney, MO for a Six Crowns Rodeo event. I was lucky enough to convince my wonderful father to let me take not one, but two horses down with us! This was our first trip taking two this summer, so it was kind of a test! Sassy and Tank (of course!) were the choosen few for the trip! Dad and I headed out early Friday morning. I was honored when dad even let me drive with the new truck! We made it to Kearney and had time to settle in, stretch the horses out, and then get ready to watch some bull riding! Tankers and I made a hot lap carrying one of my personal favorite flags, the NFPB Flag! Since he hadn't been out in public most of the summer, he made sure to make his hot laps smokin'. A huge thank you goes out to Billy S. for helping get Tankers into the arena, without me taking out some people! Dusty was the clown again at this show and was as funny as ever! Saturday I had the opportunity to go to one of the local sponsors with a few of the bull riders to sign autographs and talk with people. That was such a blast getting the chance to talk with the guys! After the meet and greet Tyler and Sarah Freeman (who are expecting their first baby any day!) stopped by and hung out at the trailer, which helped passed the time because before we knew it, it was time to get ready for night 2. Again Tank and I were excited to carry the NFPB flag, however, I think Tank was way more into it, since he had missed queening this summer! There was an autograph signing afterwards where we signed bandanas, t-shirts, and pictuers galore! Thank you so much to Six Crowns Rodeo Company for letting me come to their event and represent the NFPB. The next part of the trip may have been the longest experience of my time as Miss NFPB, maybe even in my life! So here dad and I were sleeping somewhat well, the horses had been a little restless being tied on the same side of the trailer and all, but when they were tied on opposite sides you would of thought they would die without each other. We tried to keep the hay bags full to help them pass the time, then roughly 2:30 Tankers pulled back, in a gentle way of course, breaking free of the trailer. Thank goodness that horse loves his hay, because all he did was stand there eating hay from the ground until we had crawled out of bed to retie him. Once again we filled the hay bags hoping that would do it so we could get some more sleep before heading home. Some how my little Princess, Sassy, managed to continue getting herself and Tank very tangled. After Dad and I had both had enough, keep in mind this was all before 3 a.m., we decided to pack up and go home. Neither of us were sleeping so it just seemed like the best idea at the time. What I have failed to mention thus far is that on the way down we had trouble with a trailer, which we thought we had fixed, as you will soon see, we didn't solve the problem! So here we are pulling out before 3:30 in the morning planning on being home in time for breakfast! We started the trek home knowing we needed to check the tires because of our issues on the way down. Well we did check them and the rear trailer tire on the drivers side continued getting very HOT! So over the course of the next hour we would stop, let it cool, etc. We even tried redistributing the weight of the horses, aka putting the big boy in the very front instead of the very back. No such luck. Finally, about 5 in the morning rolls around and we managed to get to where there were phone numbers for roadside repair men. After a few phone calls, and a few more miles (we would drive like 10 or so, then wait 15 minutes for the tire to cool, etc. etc. etc.) we got a hold of one that could meet us at a rest stop by 6:30 (still a.m.!). So we put the old Chevy in park at a rest area. Dad and I tried to get some shut eye before the repair man showed up, with little success. Once the man came, he decided there would be more room to fix the tire and figure out was going wrong at the next exit. We drove there, unloaded the horses, and then mister fix it man began to work his magic. I might have also left out the part of the story that I had to move to school that night! Yikes! So after much deliberation over what was wrong, a bunch of technical terms about tires that I didn't know, and a nap for Tank, Sassy, and I, it was eventually determined that I was not going to be making it home in time, unless someone came to my rescue! Thank goodness for small town Iowa and great neighbors. One of our neighbors, Eric Fara, hooked his truck (sadly a dodge) up to our livestock trailer and drove all the way to pick up this queen and her horses! Even though it was a Dodge I was glad to see it pull up. We moved all of my necessities, so pretty much everything I packed, into their truck, then loaded horses. We left dad behind in Missouri while he awaited the return of our repair man. Luckily we got home and unloaded just before it started to rain! A HUGE thank you to Eric Fara for coming to my rescue! So how many trucks and trailers does it take to get a rodeo queen home...answer: 2! For those of you wondering, my dad made it home that evening and we got the trailer repaired and ready to roll for our next trip and I made it up to Ames to start my junior year! And that's the rest of the story.....Once I moved back to school it was time for "spirit week", which in sorority terms is practicing for our formal recruitment! Sadly, I had to leave that and part of that and recruitment to rodeo! I headed to New Windsor, IL for a rodeo put on by the Hampton Rodeo Company. This was a full on rodeo, which I hadn't had the chance to watch in a while so I was very excited. It was also the first time the NFPB was in town! At the beginning of the first night I rode in on a stage coach pulled by 6 horses! Then I could walk around, sign autographs, and mingle before the bull riding portion of the evening started! I ran into Carley Hagey, Miss Rodeo Illinois 2008, and her family! I had was so greatful to stay at the lovely home of Dee and Russ Robb! I can't thank them enough for their hospitality and everything they did for me. Another huge thank you to their daughter Cait for letting me stay in her room to have a place of my own. I want to wish her and her family the best of luck in the Illinois State Fair pageant, you go girl! I had Saturday to rest and relax before night 2! I was lucky enough to get to ride in the stage coach the second night as well! I even got to make a hot lap before the NFPB section of bull ridings! New Windsor put on a great rodeo and I was honored to be a part of it! Thank you Dave Schatteman and the New Windsor Rodeo Committee for allowing me to come and be apart of their event. If you are ever out that way, be sure to stop by and check it out! That very same weekend I headed to Viroqua, WI for a CC Bucking Bulls event. The Check family was so welcoming and fun to be with! The first night of bull riding was great, perfect weather, and I was even brought in on another stage coach! I could get used to the stage coach thing. At the end myself, along with the clown, announcer, and cowboys signed autographs. I even got to stay at the cutest Bed and Breakfast, the Viroqua Heritage Inn Bed and Breakfast. Thank you to Trish, the Inn Keeper, for all she did. Staying there was so neat, and something I wouldn't have gotten to experience otherwise! Day 2 of Viroqua was an afternoon appearnace and due to some rain during the night the stage coach wasn't able to be brought in, but I was introduced before the final section of bulls. Again, thank you to everyone in Viroqua and the Check family! After my time in Wisconsin I drove back to Ames to help the women of Pi Beta Phi finish formal recruitment. Pi Beta Phi ended up getting a fabulous pledge class, so congrats ladies! That next Friday I headed to Owatonna, MN for Great Frontier Bull riding's last event of the year! It was so great to see the Kattevold family once again. I was honored to be introduced and hold the American Flag for the National Anthem. I had time to chat it up with the fine Policemen of Owatonna, MN, and they were a riot! I even got to ride a camel, yes, you read that right, a CAMEL! I have to tell you, he was a a little stinky, but I think he liked me! Thanks to everyone who made that short trip so fun! That night I headed back to Ames so mom and I could hit the road again in the morning. We left bright and early to make it to Kelsea (one of my fabulous coordinators) and TJ's wedding! It was gorgeous weather, stunning bride, and overall a fabulous wedding! Thank you Kelsea and TJ for letting mom and I be a part of your special day! The fun was short lived when we left bright and early the next day. Luckily, Amanda Eason, not only my hero in the rodeo queen world, but one of the best people I know, got to ride back with us, she helped entertain us all the way home! We were both dragging getting back to Ames knowing we were starting classes the next day. Don't be disappointed by my next weekend, I took it off, relaxing in Ames before the hard class work set it. However, I made up for it the first weekend in September, heading all of the way to Palestine, IL. I helped at the Miss Rodeo Illinois 2010 pageant. We had a blast Saturday hitting up downtown Palestine for some delicious pancakes, which were in part made by yours truly. It turns out that Palestine had been warned about what happens when I am around fire, hot things, or cooking in general, but we all survived my cooking experience, even those that consumed my creations. We had the rest of the morning to walk around and see what the great people of Palestine had to offer! After a fun autograph signing we headed to the arena for the Horsemanship portion of the competition! Then it was back to the hotel for a quick nap time before the bull riding began! The bull riding, put on by one of my personal favorite contractors, Jackson-Walkowe was a smashing success! It was great to see Clint, Frank, Tara, Deana, and the whole crew too. A special thanks to Lisa Boeding and the Miss Rodeo Illlinois Board for all they did during my stay in Palestine. Congrats to Katie Lea Chaffin on being crowned Miss Rodeo Illinois 2010! Also a big congrats goes out to Rebecca Marie Kloker, Miss Rodeo Illinois 2009. Rebecca you have done a fabulous job representing Illinois! I had a great time in Palestine with the both of you. Thank you to everyone that was behind getting me a horse for both nights of bull riding and the parade! Again, thank you to everyone in Palestine for all you did! Then, being the slacker I am, I took yet another weekend off to attend the Iowa vs. Iowa State football game. Needless to say, I wouldn't have missed much if I had gone to the PRCA Rodeo in Ft. Madison, IA, where the Miss Rodeo Iowa and Miss Teen Rodeo Iowa pageants are held. Congrats to Jordanne Blair (MRI 2o10) and Hannah Hilsabeck (MTRI 2010). Also congrats to Lindsey (MRI 09) and Shelby (MTRI 09) you both did a great job and we are all very proud of you both! Holy cow, I am about caught up with this! This last weekend I headed to Bloomington, WI for another CC Bucking Bulls event. I was so greatful to work with the Check family at their event, they truly have a family show, with everyone involved. It was such a great atmosphere and bull riding. I can't thank them enough for having a horse for me to ride when I was introduced right before the last section of bulls! Congrats to the bull riders on a job well done! Thank you to everyone in Bloomington and the Best Western in Lancaster for their hospitality!

Catching Up!

Oh my goodness it has been awhile since I have posted anything so it is time to play catch up! Brace yourself for the longest post in rodeo queen history. Way back in July, my family and I decided to road trip it up to several bull ridings, starting our journey at a Jackson-Walkowe production in Rolla, MO. We arrived in Rolla, got settled into our hotel, and headed right to the bull riding. We had the chance to walk around their fair a little and check out what Missouri had to offer. Then it was bull riding time. I was honored to be introduced and do a little wave to the fabulous crowd both nights. Jennifer Cox, Miss NFPB 2008 was even there! It is always great to see a fellow queen! Great bulls (of course!), cowboys, clown (Dusty), announcer (Chris Pyle), and of course crowd. During the bull riding I had the chance to walk around and visit with crowd and sign autographs. It was great to see Jon, the "Say I won't" guy from finals! During my free time in the day we had a chance to do some shopping, suprise suprise huh? We had the chance to experience the excellence of Rolla tire repair men as well, because we got a flat tire! After 2 days in Rolla, it was time to move on to Montogmery City, MO. This was put on by the Six Crowns Rodeo Company. Both nights I was lucky enough to carry the NFPB and American Flag, on CP, the same horse I had in Wisconsin! During the show I walked around and signed autographs and chatted it up with the bull riding fans. Mom and dad had excellent seats next to Seth Reynold's wife, Lacey, and their son Court. After 2 nights there we were off! This time we headed to Wentzville. D Bar D put on this event, and it was great to see them again. When we arrived the first night, there was some clouds, which made us all a little nervous. Since I had some time before it started we all headed up to the big tent to watch the crowning of their new county fair queen! By the time that was done and it was bull riding time it was clear to see that the bull riding wasn't going to happen. It was pouring rain!! So we headed back to the hotel for a night of relaxation. The next morning came early, and was so worth it! I headed to the children's hospital in St. Louis. After my hospital stay last summer it was really easy for me to relate to these kids! This has been the best experience to date. I was escorted around to each floor and then to each room. Part of the program I came with is all about giving the kids the opprotunity to decide if they want things, including special visitors! Since these children are in the hospital, most of their daily life is very controlled so they are all about giving them the options, which is great! I met so many smiling faces, they brightened my day! I wish the best of luck to the kids and their families that they get on the road to recovery and get home soon! Before I knew it, it was time to head back to Wentzville for an afternoon performance due to the night before being cancelled. It was a little sticky and muddy, but the bulls and cowboys still did very well. I was introduced at the beginning and then held the American Flag for the National Anthem. We had a little time before the evening peformance so I took a quick nap then it was rodeo time! I rode a horse for the National Anthem then walked around doing a 50/50 raffle. A huge thanks to the Miss Congeniality and Miss Talent from their county fair pageant, they helped me sell tickets by working what their mammas gave them! No one could say no to them, so thank you so much ladies! It was another successful night of bull riding in my book. Thanks to Debbie and Linda Daniels for getting me a horse and making me feel at home with you all! Well after 2 nights there it was time to move on! I can't seem to stay in the same place very long and it was about time to change states again! We headed to Charleston, IL for another Jackson-Walkowe production. After fighting with a few sprinkles, breaking out the pink mud boots and umbrella, there was a great bull riding! I was introduced right before then walked around doing what I do best, talking! Again everything was fabulous from the announcing, clown (Dusty), bulls, cowboys, and fans! Despite the rain, it was a great evening for everyone that wasn't in a ducky rain poncho (Clint you know who I am talking about!)! Before it my 10 day tour had come to an end and I was back in Iowa. Several hotels, stops for gas, bull ridings, and 1808 miles, we were back in Irwin, Iowa! After a few days of 'break', and i say it in quotes because I worked at the vet clinic for my last week, I was off to another bull riding. This one was much closer to home, in Atlantic, IA. Double S Bulls and the Extreme Bull Riding Tour put this even on, with an enormous crowd of 5,000 plus people! Since it was so close to home it felt like a home town crowd! A big thanks to Heidi and Kiersten for bringing the kids out to see some bull riding! I hope you all had fun. My aunt Becky and uncle Mike also brought their kids to watch me do my thing. Thank you for coming, it meant so much to have my family there! Thanks to Todd for allowing me to help. I always have so much fun at your events! There will be more to coming soon about where else I have been!

Fair Parades and Wintery Wisconsin

Thursday July 16th, I stayed close to home to hit up the Shelby County Fair Parade! Since I was sick last year I missed my local county fair so it was SO nice to be there for part of it this year. Tankers, my horse, enjoyed getting to travel a bit too! Before the parade I had the chance to walk around and visit with old 4-H friends. I was lucky enough to ride right by the Boots and Saddles 4-H club so Tank had other horses close by! The parade and the fair was a smashing success! Thanks Shelby County for having me! Right after the parade mom and I packed up in the car to start the trek to Merrill, Wisconsin! We made it to Minnesota that night, and finished the trip the next day. It was time to hit another county fair, but this time in Merrill, for one of Clint Jackson's events! We got there just in time for the first night a bull riding. A huge thank you to the Davis family for having a horse, CP, there for me. Another thank you to Melanie for giving me some direction and carrying flags too! I was honored to carry not only the NFPB flag but the American Flag as well. Then it was bull riding time! Great bulls, great cowboys, and great fans makes for a fantastic show! Before I knew it, it was time to hit the hay. Day two in Wisconsin brought even more fun. Mom and I had the chance to walk around their fair, looking at exhibits and animals. I will have to say they have a lot more dairy cattle up that way! I even had cheese curds for the first time, and they were delicious! Wisconsin had so many new things. I didn't know they liked naming food after animals up there, they had elephant ears and monkey tails, oh my! The people of Wisconsin were so friendly and welcoming! Then it was show time. Again, I was lucky to ride CP while carrying the flags. Everyone did a great job again. Porkchop, the entertainment was hilarious, Brandon the announcer did a fabulous job, and the bull riding was a success. Minus the record cold temperatures, my first trip to Wisconsin was a blast, and I can't wait to be back! Until next time!

Don't Rain on My Parade

Again, lame title, but I am trying to spice up my blog. Is it working? Anyways, down to business...July 3rd, Mom, Dad, Tank, and myself loaded up and headed to Tekamah, Nebraska for a Williams and Long event. We pulled in during some rain (hence the title) but it cleared away for show time. Tank and I carried the American Flag for the National Anthem, led a horse for a memorial, and carried the Williams and Long banner flag. Since it was a huge arena, fitting for a huge horse, I let Tankers run his little heart out! The crowd got quite excited on our hot lap with the American Flag. However, I am sure I scared the photographers along the fence! Then it was show time. During the performance there was some good old fashioned mutton busting, which is always very entertaining. What better way to show love to your child then throw them on top of a sheep and watch them hang on! Then it was back to bull riding. The cowboys and bulls did a fabulous job! I had the chance to walk through the crowd and mingle during the performance. The cutest little girl came up to me and asked, "How do you become a rodeo queen?" Those are some of the moments that make all of the work you go through completely worth it. So I am wishing that little rodeo queen (and her parents) the best of luck! A huge thank you to everyone that made my short stay in Tekamah a great one! Kent, Todd, Troy, Robert and gang, thank you so much it was a pleasure to work with all of you. The next part of my story just proves how crazy rodeo queens (and their parents) are! We loaded up shortly after the bull riding was over, not so we could drive home, not so that we could drive closer to home, but so we could drive further from home! We were off to Cannon Falls, Minnesota. A thank you is not enough for the fabulous parents of mine for staying up and driving there, with 2 stops for gas....and coffee, just so we could arrive in time for a parade the next morning! Of course I wasn't much help on that little journey after I laid down and put a movie in. We arrived in Cannon Falls around 4:30 a.m. put the Chevy in Park, unloaded Tankers, and hit the hay! Before we knew it, it was time to get our parade faces on. A big thank you to Stephanie Fox for being so helpful with the parade information, that made that morning so much easier! During the parade I was right behind a live band, providing me with entertainment for the whole route, and Tank, my little dancing pony, with music to get his groove on! There was a little rain, but nothing the crowd in Cannon Falls couldn't handle. After the parade we had a nice lunch provided by my aunt Renee and uncle Kevin. Her kids, Aaron and Avonlea, were also in the parade on their unicycles, impressive! Next came a quick but much needed nap time before we pulled down by the grandstand. Then it was night two of the bull riding. This event was put on by the Extreme Bull Riding Tour. Bucking stock, which was fantastic, was provided by the Double S Bull Co. from Iowa! Todd Crase, and Ryan Skillet help put on quite the production, fireworks included. They strive for, and achieve a very family friendly show each and everytime, they are such crowd pleasers, if you have a chance be sure to make it to one of their events! I was honored to carry the American Flag again, as well as the NFPB flag! There was more mutton busting for the folks of Minnesota, and I had a great time helping the bull fighters comfort the criers and hand out trophies to every participant! During a tribute I was lucky enough to stand in the arena as Cash Smith held the American Flag, along side Ryan Skillet and Paige Smith (a future rodeo queen!). Again, it was a fantabulous show, lots of excitment and plenty of funny! After there were tons of fireworks for the 4th of July! I have never been so thankful to see fireworks close up in my life. For many of you that didn't know I was sent to the Nebraska Medical Center last July 3rd, for 13 long days! I missed the fireworks, a few appearnces as Miss Teen Rodeo Iowa, and my life outside the hospital. Needless to say this was the best 4th of July to date! I am starting to feel like a part of a family at all of these events, so much so I made cookies for the producers and bull riders, which turned out to be a smashing success! Please watch for my new show on the Food Network, Cooking for Cowboys. I am getting to know so many new people, and I wouldn't trade this experince for anything in the world! Ok, enough with the sentimental stuff, see ya all at the next bull riding!

Down in Missouri and Up to No Good!

Ok, so the title is slightly cheesey I know, but I am trying to be creative! June 25th, mom and I left the great state of Iowa and headed to Missouri. Thursday night we made it to Memphis, Missouri. It was a D Bar D event, and I was greeted and settled in by Debbie and Linda Daniels! During the performance they had me hand out some cute little bull riding coloring books. I thought that was a fabulous idea! A huge thank you to Kelsey and Todd Renfrew for letting me ride Chester! Before the show started Kelsey and I rode around warming up the horses and chatting it up. Good luck in all of your barrel racing endeavours Kelsey. We all survived the heat to watch a great show put on by everyone with D Bar D, I can't wait to work with them later in the summer. The next morning, Mom and I made the trek to the other side of Missouri, to Carthage. After checking into the Precious Moments hotel, which happened to have a pink exterior, fitting for a queen, we went and ate at a cute little diner on Route 66. The next morning we lived a rough life laying pool side catching some sun! Before we knew it, it was time to head to Lockwood, Missouri, for a High Point event. We pulled into quite the event, several horses, campers, and people, all ready to watch some great bullriding. A huge thank you to all involved with the High Point company and for allowing me to come. Another thank you to Sarah Freeman, for helping me out, letting me stay in the air conditioning for a bit, and supplying me with a horse. After a jumping start to the National Anthem we made a proud lap around the arena carrying the Red, White, and Blue, and then it was show time! Great bulls plus great cowboys equals a great show. Of course, this time the crowd had a special interest in this event, at the beginning they held a calcutta auctioning off all of the cowboys, and the winner recieved 40% of the pot, and a little girl needing to go to China for eye surgery recieved the rest. It was a huge success! Again, thanks to High Point for allowing me to be a part of their event! Until next time!

Blazing Temperatures & Bullriding Long Prairie, Minnesota style

This last weekend the whole family loaded in the car to head north to Long Prairie, Minnesota, to a Great Frontier Bullriding event. Saturday morning before the bullridng my cousin, Dan Weber, had his graduation party, so we ate great food, spent sometime visiting with family, and had a little partying time, then dad and I had a nice road trip to Long Prairie. Once we arrived at Prairie Fest, I was met by Jennifer Kattevold, the lady in charge of it all! After all of the introductions were made, my horse arrived! I was ridding in style, on a beautiful paint horse. They even had the tail braided for me, now that is a true queen horse! I made a smoking lap, ok, well maybe it wasn't that fast, but I let that pleasure horse rip, then it was show time. During the show there was a boot race for the kids that I helped out with. I even got to sign a few shirts to be thrown out into the audience. After one terrible T-shirt throw, almost taking someone out, we handed that job over to the entertainment, Slipknot! It was great to see one of the judges that I had got to know down at the finals! Thank you to the Kattevold family and the Great Frontier Bullriding Company for making my time in the Northern state so much fun! See you all in Memphis and Lockwood, Missouri this weekend!

Frontier Western Celebration- El Dorado, KS

No more rest and relaxation due to the mono for this queen. After a fun week of vaccinating pigs, 4,800 pigs to be exact, my mom and I made the trip to El Dorado, Kansas, for the Frontier Western Days. I arrived and went right to work, helping with the mutton busting! After 14 cute little cowboys and cowgirls took their turn braving the sheep, it was time to start the bullriding. I felt pretty important being introduced with the champion bullriders, including Henry Yoder himself! For those of you that don't know Henry was the named the NFPB champion the very same day I was crowned Miss NFPB! Friday nights event had a great crowd, fantastic bulls, and of course some pretty darn good cowboys! Unfortunately the bull fighter was flipped by the bull, breaking his leg in 2 places. He is on the long road to recovery, but will be missing the rest of the summer events. Some of the cowboys traded in their boots for some comfy tennis shoes and put on their vests to help with the bull fighting. I think that shows great sportsmanship! After that misfortune, it was time for the championship round. I think the bulls won that night, but the cowboys put up a valiant effort. Before I knew it mom and I were headed back to the hotel to catch some much needed sleep. Saturday we headed into downtown Wichita to see what Sheplers had to offer! A HUGE thank you to Kandy Schramm at the Sheplers hat counter for cleaning, shaping, and fixing up all of my queen hats. They were in dire need of some TLC. Kandy did a fabulous job, so if you are ever in the Wichita area and need a hat doctor, she is your lady! After hours in the Sheplers dressing room, and doing my part to support the Kansas economy, it was time to head back and get ready for a night of bullriding. Saturday we had 18 mutton busters. With some tough cowboys and cowgirls, a few hard falls, and the occasional tears, the mutton busting was a huge succes, and as always, a crowd pleaser. Then it was bullriding time! I think the bulls were having a better weekend, but none the less it was a great weekend. Thank you to Matt Williams, the contractor, for allowing me to be a part of their event. I was very impressed with all of his bulls, including, Free Beer and Funny Grass, among others. I had so much fun and really enjoyed the Kansas hospitality, I felt right at home. Another thank you goes out to Scott Fry and his music man for making me feel right at home. I hope to see both of them down the road, even if they aren't Iowa State Cyclone fans! Kansas was a great time and I can't wait to visit again. It is time to head to Minnesota next weekend to see what the northern states have to offer! Until next time!

Dan Larson Memorial Bull Riding - Albia, Iowa

Greetings Rodeo Fans! After a week of rest and relaxation due to an unfortunate case of mono, I was ready to hit the road again. I headed to the other southern corner of the state to the Dan Larson Memorial Bullriding in Albia, Iowa. From the moment I drove up I felt like Royalty. Right away there was an autograph signing with some of the cowboys, where we signed autographs and greeted the fans. I was honored to be able to visit with the local radio station to remind people to get on down to the arena. Then I had a few minutes to chat with the announcer, Rex Strayer, whom I had met at the Finals, so it was great to see him again! Before I knew it, it was show time. A huge thank you to John Reed for letting me ride his trusty steed, Smokey! I was introduced with all of the bullriders, then after a moment of silence for Dan Larson, it was time for the National Anthem. Another big thank you to Dave Larson's granddaughter for helping me do that, she carried the Iowa flag, and I think we made a pretty good team. Then it was show time. I walked around chatting it up with the crowd then had the chance to sit and watch some bullriding. No worries, I didn't have to sit and watch by myself, I was in good company. Marie Mahaney, a fellow queen, and good friend was with me the whole evening to help me out and take wonderful pictures. Watch out professional photographers Marie will give you a run for your money. Actually she was there to watch another friend, Josh Thames, but it was great to see them both anyways. Dave and Liz Larson put on a great show, and had great hospitality. Thank you to everyone who helped make my stay in Albia so great! See you next weekend in El Dorado, Kansas!

Barnes Bulls and Barrels - Emmetsburg, Iowa

Happy Memorial Day Weekend All! I hope it was either restful and relaxing or you had some big plans. I had the opportunity to head to Emmetsburg, Iowa for a bulls and barrels event outside of the Wild Rose Casino. The Barnes crew put on a great event, with wonderful weather and a large crowd. A huge thank you to Beth Thompson for giving me directions once I was there, she is the Marketing Director, and did a fabulous job. Another thank you to Connie Wiemold for letting me stay with her so I wouldn't have to drive all of the way home, her place is so cute with gorgeous decorations! While at the Wild Rose Casino I had the chance to do a meet and greet with all of the fans, walk around and visit, throw out t-shirts, and present buckles to the winners. This is just the kick off to a great summer, with events here on out. Bring on summer time!

Nevada, Iowa Preschool visit

Thursday I had the opportunity to visit a preschool in Nevada, Iowa. The ninety, four and five year old kids were very excited to have a rodeo queen stop by! Last week was "W" week, and they needed a little western to spice things up. Boy, did I have some interesting questions. I guess I now know where the phrase, "kids say the darnedest things", comes from! I even braved school lunch for the first time in more than two years, and it was actually quite delicious. A huge thank you to Claire Hall, the teacher, for contacting me and setting this up for us.

Vieshea Parade

This week at Iowa State was VEISHEA. I was honored enough to be asked to be a dignitary and ride in the parade. Saturday started bright and early with a breakfast with all of the other dignitaries included Ann Campbell, the mayor of Ames, ISU President Geoffroy and his wife Kathy, the present and former Government of the Student Body President and Vice President, and many other respected students and faculty of Iowa State. With me for the brunch was my dad, Rowly, grandparents, Bob and Bonnie, and big sister in Pi Phi, Meghan. We were lucky enough to sit with Ann Campbell and the Geoffroys, I felt very important! From breakfast the family members were escorted to an area to watch the parade, and the dignitaries were taken out to their cars, or in the case of a rodeo queen, a truck! A HUGE thank you to Abe Arndt, for driving me in the parade. Even though his truck was a Ford it was still a pretty sweet ride. Even with on coming rain, there was a great turn out. Luckily I got most of the way through the parade before it started to rain! A big thanks to VEISHEA committe members for putting on a great 2009 VEISHEA!

Wow, what a week it has been! Last Wednedsay, I left the great state of Iowa and headed south for the NFPB finals in St. Joe. My intentions when I left were to meet lots of people and have a good time, and I came home with so much more than that. I arrived in St. Joe on Wednesday afternoon for the Miss NFPB orientation, where I met 6 other incredible girls: Sarah, Hannah, Alyssa, Amanda, Marie, and April. Before we knew it we were getting ready for the first performance of the Finals.

Thursday came with our written test in the morning, a trip to the Cerebal Palsy Unit of Buchanan County, sponsor visits, a trip to East Hills Mall for some promo work, and finally a performance!

Friday morning came early, so we could be ready for our TV interview with Channel 2. From there we headed to the St. Joe Civic Center arena for the horsemanship portion of the competition. A huge thank you to Duane Taylor for providing four wonderful horses! Congrats to Alyssa for winning horsemanship. After horsemanship we had a little time to prepare ourselves for the Fashion Show. Before we knew it, it was time to model our beautiful sponsored outfits, our fun western outfit of our choosing, and finally our formal wear. We also gave our speeches and answered two impromptu questions. Then it was back to the Civic Arena for the Finals.

Saturday we had some time to sleep in before heading over to the Civic Arena for the VIP rodeo. The VIP Rodeo is an opportunity for those with special needs to meet the cowboys, ride a horse, practice their roping skills, and get to feel like a real cowboy (or cowgirl) for the day. It was such a fun experience because we had met some of those cowboys and cowgirls the day before at the Cerebal Palsy Unit. The looks on their faces were priceless as they enjoyed the activities in the arena! After the VIP rodeo we had some time to prepare ourselves for the interview. That evening we headed back to the Civic Arena for the final night of the Finals. April did a fabulous job selling program ads, and won the top ad sales award, Peoples Choice and Photogenics was won by Alyssa, and Sarah received Miss Congeniality. Second runner up was Marie Mahaney and 1st runner up was Alyssa Morrison. I was honored to not only come home with the title, but the Speech award. I guess giving my speech to my sorority and to some of my classes here at Iowa State really paid off. All of the students in those classes and my sorority are sure glad not to have to listen to my speech any more!

As promised, here is my shout out to the women of Pi Beta Phi, my sorority at ISU, I hope all of you will be able to make it to one of my apperances this summer.
There are so many people that need to be thanked: Car City Dodge for the use of a van, Stetson Outlet in St. Joe, all of the pageant sponsors and so many behind the scence helpers. Kelsea Walker and Paula Jameson were excellent coordinators and I look forward to working with them this coming year.

Mom and Dad, buckle down, here we go for another year of traveling across the Midwest. I look forward to meeting you all down the road, see you at NFPB events!
See You Soon,

Rachel

Miss NFPB 2009 Results

Congratulations to Miss Rachel Burton for earning the title of Miss NFPB 2009. Rachel also took home the Speech Award.

Full results:

Miss NFPB 2009 - Rachel Burton (IA)

1st Runner-up - Alyssa Morrison (KS)

2nd Runner-up - Marie Mahaney (WI)

Horsemanship - Alyssa Morrison (KS)

Speech - Rachel Burton (IA)
Photogenics - Alyssa Morrison (KS)

Top Ad Sales - April Brown (MO)

Miss Congeniality - Sarah Mullet (MT)

People's Choice Award - Alyssa Morrison (KS)

April 2 - Day #2

Day 2 of the Miss NFPB Pageant began cold and wet. With sleet and snow falling the ladies braved the weather in our sponsored van, courtesy of Car City Dodge, and visited residents at United Cerbral Palsy. After their visit it was time for lunch at St. Joe's Whiskey Creek. Whiskey Creek sponsored a luncheon and gave all of the contestants and Jennifer a gift. Then we were off to East Hills Mall to sign autographs, a quick change of clothes and we were at the Civic Arena as the doors opened and greeted eager NFPB bull riding fans. The ladies mingled with the crowd and vendors, signed autographs, helped with the mutton busting and collected votes for the race to the "Miss NFPB Peoples Choice Award"! Pictures from these events have been added to our slideshow.

The ladies are off to bed to begin day 3 bright and early with a live TV interview followed by more pageant activities.

April 1 - Day #1

After checking in to the pageant and receiving all of their great gifts, the contestants and Jennifer enjoyed dinner at Terrible's Casino.









NFPB President Clint Jackson with Jennifer and the Contestants




Alyssa and Jennifer



Amanda and Hannah



April and Sarah



Rachel and Marie

Miss NFPB 2009 Pageant is underway!!

From Wisconsin to Montana and Arkansas to Iowa, 7 beautiful ladies arrived in St Joe, MO this afternoon and were greeted by Miss NFPB 2008 Miss Jennifer Cox and Pageant Directors Kelsea Walker and Paula Jameson. With orientation under their belts they moved into their rooms to find an array of sponsored items. All contestants received a shirt from VintageWesternWear.com, jeans from cjjeans.com, a years subscription to Cowgirl Living Magazine, a stirrup photo frame from StirrupCollection.com, Justin ball cap from M&F Western Products, Nuzzle Perfume, Cowboy Magic products, Chocolates from CowgirlChocolates.com, custom NFPB pageant pendant and necklace from SilverSteerBoutique and custom bags from Rockabilly Filly Designs! The ladies are settling into their rooms and preparing for the NFPB Reception at Terrible's Casino that begins at 7pm this evening. These ladies have a great week ahead of them!!