Rodeo Queen Pageants: Pay Attention to the Details
I mentioned in my post last night about rodeo queen mentality, that pageants are won and lost in the small details. Here are a couple things I think are worth making sure you don’t overlook when it comes to pageant day.
Outfits
Put on all your pageant outfits at least a week before the pageant. Make sure each outfit fits you, any modifications you may need to do will be a lot easier in the weeks leading up to the pageant, much better than only trying them on the night or even day of the pageant and scrambling to find a solution. Tailoring should be done as soon as possible, and unless your renting or borrowing- tailor everything you can, a beautifully fitted plain outfit will win over a unfitted designer frock. This is also the time to iron, steam and starch your clothing.
Tip: ride in starched jeans prior to the pageant, so that you are comfortable in your horsemanship jeans on Pageant day.
Practice Practice Practice
Hair, makeup, horsemanship are all things you get to practice before the pageant starts. Practice forming your wings, getting your hair to curl the way you want, how to do/change your makeup from horsemanship to up close interview to onstage. Know your pattern, practice mounting and dismounting, and dropping the bit to show the judges. Even practice how you would respond to impromptu questions, why do you want to be Miss Rodeo ___? Who is your favorite contestant competing at the NFR? Dates and times of the rodeo you are hoping to represent? Practice makes perfect, and letting yourself practice gets you experience to draw from during the contest and any situation you may be in as a rodeo queen.
Knowledge is Power
Your mind is a powerful tool, not only is your mentality, mindset and mental health all a component of it, so is your knowledge. The brain is capable of so many things, even things we don’t yet understand. Being able to learn is the best way to grow who you are as a person. Become as knowledgeable in as many components of a rodeo queen as possible. Learn how you as an individual should study to best retain the information. You do not have to grow up in a rodeo family to be able to learn about rodeo, same could be said for horses, veterinary science, politics, even how to conduct yourself on stage. While some information needs a hands on approach, there is so much you can learn from the internet, local library, school and people already in your daily life. Let your mind be a sponge, absorb everything you can possibly learn. Work hard to study, making time for what is important to you. Knowledge comes from hard work and it will reflect to the judges if you are dedicated to learning and growing as a rodeo queen.
