Instructions
Horsemanship
Interviews
Personality
Appearance
Photogenics
Public Speaking
Impromptu Questions
Misc. Categories:
Tests
Ticket Sales
Congeniality
Many people feel like this is the most important category of the competition. Horsemanship is what sets the rodeo queen apart from the beauty queen. How well can you work with a 1200 pound partner? You will be judged on all areas of your riding abilities. These areas can include memorizing a reining pattern and executing it well, buzzing around the arena and connecting with the audience, carrying a flag, and pushing calves.
How well can you handle conversation with a small group of judges? Questions on just about every aspect of your life can be asked. Having a good foundation of knowledge is the key to having a good interview. They will also judge your ability to react to unusual questions. Having confidence in your abilities is important in the interview process. You could have separate interviews for personality/current events, and for horsemanship.
Having a personality that can adapt from a group of grade school children to business men at a luncheon is an important aspect of a good rodeo queen. She must be able to relate and interact with all types of people. This is her job. Judges will look for a girl with intelligence, who is warm and friendly, who has an interest in the world around her, and who has a good sense of humor.
A picture is worth a 1000 words! It is every little girls' dream to become a rodeo queen. This dream begins when she sees the beautiful smiling queens while attending a rodeo. Appearance is not just having expensive western clothing, it is the whole package. Hair, make up, hands and nails, accessories, poise, and countenance will all come into play while judging the appearance of a girl. Clothing should always be western styled, must fit well, and be clean and well pressed. Coordinating and clean hats, boots, and belts are also very important to a well-dressed queen. Don't forget to make sure that your horse is also well groomed and cared for! A smile is always the best accessory!
How well does your personality shine through in photographs? The judges usually are looking for the "All American Cowgirl" when judging photogenics. They want a genuine smile, a sparkle in the eyes, and a girl who "looks the part" of a rodeo queen.
Speeches
Speaking in front of a crowd can be an intimidating idea. A well prepared and well delivered speech can show your personality and ability to communicate an idea to a crowd. Each contest will have their own speech topic, time limit, and other rules that govern the speech category.
Most girls will say that this is their hardest category of a rodeo queen pageant! How well do you think "off of the top of your head?" Questions just about every subject can be asked. These questions show your ability to think on your feet and how you will react to interviews while in the public view.
Modeling
Knowing how to walk and sit with poise and confidence is in important as a rodeo queen. You could be modeling in a variety of western wear outfits during a contest. A queen may also find herself modeling for different sponsors during her reign.
Many contests will have a written or arena test. These are administered to test the knowledge of the contestant and will usually focus on rodeo knowledge and current events.
Getting the public out to the rodeo is what keeps our sport alive. Most contests will not include this as part of the overall points, but will give an extra award for it. In the past, this was the category that determined the queen!
This is usually the most coveted award of a competition. It is not part of the judged categories as the other contestants will vote for the girl of their choice. A genuine, sincere and fun girl is what the other contestants look for. The girl who sees the good in others, does not brag or complain during competition, and is having the best experience of her life will usually earn the votes of her competitors.
How to Compete in a Rodeo Queen Pageant
Competing in a rodeo queen contest takes dedication, knowledge, and a love for the sport of rodeo. You will find that every contest will be run a bit differently according to the coordinator and what is expected of their title holder. Even though they are different, most contests will expect their contestants to compete in a variety of categories. Here is a synopsis of those categories.