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Queen, princess to take on jobs as ambassadors
Published 5/26/2009 in Beef Empire Days-Entertainment
By MONICA SPRINGER
The toughest part of the Beef Empire Days PRCA Rodeo Queen Pageant is the horsemanship competition, last year's winner of the pageant said.
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Brad Nading/Telegram — Heather Temple, El Dorado, receives a hug after being named the 2008 Beef Empire Days queen during the final evening performance of the PRCA Rodeo at the Finney County Fairgrounds.
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Brad Nading/Telegam — Jessica Rudell, Oakley, talks with the judges while standing next to her horse during the 2008 Beef Empire Days queen horsemanship contest at the Finney County Fairgrounds.
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Laurie Sisk/Telegram — Miss Beef Empire Days Rodeo Queen contestant Heather Temple models her outfit topped off with a white Resistol hat during the 2008 Miss Rodeo Beef Empire Days Pagaent Style Show and Luncheon at the Clarion Inn. Temple adventually won the title.
"It's always hot out and you have to keep your horse cool," said Heather Temple, who will give up her 2008 crown during this year's competition in June. "You have to memorize your pattern and hope your horse does well and listens to you that day."
The horsemanship portion is just one aspect of the pageant, which begins June 11 after the second round of slack for the PRCA rodeo. Other aspects of the pageant include a speech, a style show and a personal interview with three judges.
Whoever has the highest score after those four events wins.
Wally Garcia, the pageant's coordinator, said this year there will be four princesses and one queen contestant competing.
In the past, they have had dwindling numbers for the Queen competition, likely in part to the financial commitment being crowned queen or princess takes.
Garcia said the queen and the princess, after they are crowned, become ambassadors for Beef Empire Days at other rodeos around the state and region.
Throughout the year, the queen and princess will appear at rodeos and at various community events around the state, including taking time to read to elementary school students and share rodeo experiences with them.
Temple said she traveled to rodeos as Beef Empire Days Queen. The queen and the princess have the option of which rodeos they will attend, Garcia said, and past queens and princesses have traveled to Texas, Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming.
Garcia said oftentimes the Beef Empire Days PRCA Rodeo Queen goes on to compete in the Miss Rodeo Kansas competition.
Temple, 19, just finished her freshman year at Colby Community College and is originally from El Dorado. She said her favorite part of the Beef Empire Days Queen Pageant is the speech and style show.
Each contestant prepares a two-minute speech on the topic of rodeo, then models a western dress and a western arena outfit.
Temple's speech last year was on the Garden City PRCA rodeo, she said.
"You have to show your personality in the speech, put a twist on it and make it your own," Temple said.
Garcia added that the judges will ask each contestant questions, which requires preparation. For example, Garcia said the judges could ask questions that range from world topics to animal health to packing plants, feed yards, grocery stores to other questions related to the rodeo and cattle industry.
The princess competition is for girls ages 13 to 16 and the queen portion is for ages 17 to 23.
Temple said she has some advice for the girls competing in the Beef Empire Days PRCA Rodeo Queen Pageant this year.
"Just have fun. It's a good pageant. Make friends, enjoy and be yourself," Temple said.
The horsemanship portion of the pageant will take place at 2 p.m. June 11, then June 12 there will be a style show and brunch at 10 a.m. at the fairgrounds. The queen and princess contestants will be introduced and the winners will be announced during the PRCA Rodeo at 7:45 p.m. June 12.
Garcia said there's still time if girls want to enter the queen or princess competition this year. Contestants have until June 1 to enter the pageant. For more information, Garcia can be reached at 290-1650.
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