With a frosty "welcome home" of single digits and gusty winds, Paula, Bobbie, and I returned to Iowa on Sunday afternoon. Congratulations to Erika for placing in the top 10 at the Miss Rodeo America pageant and for winning the Central Region Scholarship. She did a great job the entire week at the pageant and I had fun watching her. I have big shoes to fill this next year, however, I am looking forward to how fun it will be.
Recapping from the last time I wrote, I listened to the 2nd and 3rd round of speeches and attended the Miss Rodeo America President's Luncheon where the contestants answered current event questions that were written in a format for the girls to state their knowledge and opinion on the subject. Wow! The questions were very tough and about very current and controversial issues . . . I am glad I have a year to prepare for that!
Recapping from the last time I wrote, I listened to the 2nd and 3rd round of speeches and attended the Miss Rodeo America President's Luncheon where the contestants answered current event questions that were written in a format for the girls to state their knowledge and opinion on the subject. Wow! The questions were very tough and about very current and controversial issues . . . I am glad I have a year to prepare for that!
Thursday evening was the Ladies in Waiting Bowling social at the hotel where we got a chance to get to know one another and establish traveling partners. I had a lot of fun because the girls were great AND I had some pretty good luck bowling! (I wonder if that luck would have transferred over to gambling . . .) After the social event I had a quick change of clothes and then I was off to the first performance of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo! It was the neatest thing I have ever been to . . . there was so much electricity and excitement in the air at the Thomas and Mack Arena. We had upper bowl seats directly above the roping boxes, so we had a great view of the timed events and a straight-on view of the bucking chutes. We saw many great rides and runs and it was a very smoothly-run rodeo. Thank you, Bob Britton, for the tickets--I had the time of my life!
Saturday finished up the week with the coronation of the new Miss Rodeo America, Ashley Andrews from North Dakota. I had a lot of fun watching and learning and am excited to go next year, but I am more excited for the upcoming year. My coronation is the first "official" event as Miss Rodeo Iowa, and then I am off to Denver and many other places! I will check in on this blog to update you on my travels throughout the year, so check back often to see what I have been doing and where I have been!
Until next time . . .
--Amanda
