8
january24
community
2012
Happy Trails: A Report From the Rodeo Road
By Mackenzie Carr
Miss Rodeo America 2012
a rodeo queen is a cowgirl who is
a spokeswoman for a sport and a
lifestyle that she loves.
Hello again
Despite the dedication and
Since my last article,
hard work my job requires, I do
the month of January has
get to have an immense amount
kept me very busy. I arrived
of fun and meet some amazing
in Denver on January 4th, for
people. While I was in Denver,
the National Western Stock
I spent a great deal of time with
Show, my first official event
Miss Rodeo Colorado and Miss
as Miss Rodeo America 2012.
Rodeo North Dakota. The three
I stayed in the mile high city Mackenzie in Denver with MRA President Tracy Damrell and of us found ourselves in multiple
for the three week duration of
her sponsor Court’s Saddlery.
situations where all we could do
Haley instructed me to bring an extra
the stock show and each day
was laugh. One of the highlights
suitcase to haul all of my new items was learning to not always trust a GPS,
brought something new and exciting.
Throughout my stay, I was home. Great tip McKenzie, I wouldn’t because what it considers a steakhouse is
tasked with doing numerous activities to have made it home otherwise!
sometimes a stretch of the definition. :)
Contrary
to
what
many
people
promote the stock show and the events
At the end of January, I had the
that took place on the grounds. Each day might think, the life of a rodeo queen is honor of being the keynote speaker for the
consisted of a full schedule split between far from glamorous. It is like any other American National CattleWomen at the
rodeo performances, school and hospital job, requiring long hours and hard work. Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville,
visits, interviews, and benefit functions
Tennessee. I spoke
for the scholarship program. Although
to these admirable
these activities ranged from one end
women about the
of the spectrum to the other, the main
c o m m o n a l i t i e s
focus and purpose at each one was to
between
the
educate people about the sport of rodeo
agriculture industry
and promote the National Western Stock
and the sport of
Show.
rodeo, as well as
While I was in Denver, I also
the impact that Miss
attended the WESA trade show. Over the
Rodeo
America,
four days that I was there, I spent time
and women alike
with the wonderful people who sponsor
have within these
Miss Rodeo America Inc; Wrangler,
industries. It was
Montana Silversmiths, Justin, Bailey
truly a privilege to
Hats, the American Quarter Horse
have this opportunity
Miss Rodeo North Dakota, Miss Rodeo Colorado with
Association, and Court’s Saddlery. I also
and I thoroughly
Mackenzie.
did a little, well a lot of shopping. I think
enjoyed spending
I may have to build an addition to my I take pride in doing whatever it takes time with the CattleWomen.
room to house all of my new clothes. Last to get the job done, even if that means
This year, the Miss Rodeo
year’s Miss Rodeo America, McKenzie getting a little dirty. First and foremost, America organization is increasing
their focus on social media. In doing
so, I will be writing monthly articles for
multiple publications, including this one
in Vernonia’s Voice, blogging on Justin
Boots’ Facebook page, and posting
fun pictures and videos to Wrangler’s
Facebook page for people to follow
along with my travels. I also keep my
own Facebook page updated with daily
occurrences and humorous stories so
my family and friends can keep up with
me. I hope that my communication
and public relations skills combined
with this tremendous opportunity will
result in a career when I finish my year
as Miss Rodeo America. Many other
MRA’s have gone on to thrive in the
media field, including Pam Minick who
is a broadcaster for many television
stations including RFDTV, and Jennifer
Douglas-Smith, a media correspondent
for the PRCA and the Wrangler National
Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
As of now, I have two trips under
my belt with many more to come. I start
off February with a trip to Rapid City,
South Dakota for the Black Hills Stock
Show and then bounce to Kissimmee,
Florida for the Silver Spurs Rodeo. I’m
sure I’ll have many stories about my
adventures to come!
Until next time.
Mackenzie with fellow Oregonian
and World Champion cowboy
Larry Mahan.
The Vernonia Boys 5-6 grade team took first place in the Vernonia Basketball
Tournament on January 7.
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