By BECKY THOMAS
Staff Reporter
It seems like the rodeo happened just yesterday, but it's already time to crown a new Miss Cheney Rodeo.
The 2012 Miss Cheney Rodeo pageant is just around the corner, and young women are invited to compete for the crown.
“It's really a yearlong commitment, but it is a blast. You get to meet so many great people,” queen coordinator Heidi Monter said.
Young women ages 17 through 25 are invited to apply for the pageant, which will be held Sept. 23-24. The deadline to apply is Sept. 5.
The Miss Cheney Rodeo pageant tests contestants on horsemanship, personality, public speaking and appearance. Contestants are not required to hail from Cheney, but Monter said local women who have been involved in the rodeo have a head start in preparing for the pageant.
“They're asked questions about Cheney and about the rodeo in the interview, so there is definitely an advantage that Cheney girls have,” she said. “They know all that stuff already and the (rodeo) board knows them.”
The Rodeo board of directors serves as judges in the pageant. They score contestants on Friday evening's horsemanship challenge, in which the women ride patterns on their own horse, with a different horse and as a group with flags. Saturday's competition begins with 20-minute interviews with each contestant, followed by the annual dinner and auction, attended by family and friends of contestants as well as other folks involved in the Rodeo. Each contestant must give a memorized speech, after which the new Miss Cheney Rodeo is crowned.
The pageant has followed a similar schedule the past several years, and this year will follow that tradition, but with an added twist. Younger girls who are interested in trying out for Miss Cheney Rodeo when they're old enough will have the chance to “compete” alongside the older girls in a mock pageant. Monter stressed that there won't be a crown for the younger girls, but it will be great practice.
“They can go through the process and know about it before actually trying out,” she said, adding that the experience will help them later as official contestants. “I think also when the pressure isn't there, you can be more relaxed.”
Monter said she advises young women to consider the responsibility of the crown before trying out for Miss Cheney. The rodeo queen is required to attend rodeo meetings throughout the year, fulfill all her duties during Rodeo Week in July and attend several events around the area throughout the year.
There are other requirements too: the queen must be single and childless, have her own horse and mode of transportation and must live with high moral standards. Monter said that the rules allow the winner to represent the Cheney Rodeo in a positive way, and encouraged interested young women to find out more.
“If you enjoy rodeo, you get to go to all the rodeos you want to go to in the area,” she said. “It's a lot more than a crown. You're really an ambassador for rodeo.”
Young women who are interested in competing for the Miss Cheney Rodeo 2012 crown should contact Heidi Monter at [email protected] or (509) 953-5800.
Becky Thomas can be reached at [email protected].
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