“First’s” are always awkward. No matter how you might prepare for it there seems to always be a feeling…
Pre 2010 Report
All I have to say is "WOW!" I am so excited to welcome my two new teen and jr. titleholders, Savanna Ball and Ariel Overstreet. The pageant was a blast! It was great to see those young ladies work towards representing Oregon. The rodeo was also a ton of fun.
After the teen pageant I have been getting sponsors and planning my coronation. I had no idea how much work went into creating a fun party for the rodeo queens and guests I am inviting. I know that all in attendance will enjoy the evening.
In August, I went back to school at Northwest Christian University to finish up my senior semester. My parents were so helpful in making it possible for me to travel to and from Eugene to keep up on Miss Rodeo Oregon lady-in-waiting responsibilities and events.
A fun event that I was able to attend was the Miss Rodeo Oregon Gaming Series on October 12th. I wasn’t able to bring a horse to the event so I two teamed it with Danielle Ridgeway in being the MC for the day.Our own Ariel Overstreet, Miss Teen Rodeo Oregon, was one of the competitors. Riding her loyal steed, she won ribbon after ribbon. Go Ariel!
Ariel and I attended a fundraiser for the Happy Trails Riding Facility. This event was a great experience. We learned about a program which has affected many individuals with disabilities. The money raised there went to help with the necessities of the program.
Things calmed down a little bit after that event. I kept on trudging through my school work and getting prepared for the next year. Some of the people who have helped me the most in my preparations are Kennette Wilson, who has been helping me get in contact with Seven Feathers Casino; Oregon Tool and Supply, for jumping on board and becoming one of my sponsors; Staples, for printing off all of my autograph photos and invitations; and my university, all my professors were very understanding if I had to miss class for a requirement related to Miss Rodeo Oregon.
In November I attended the Columbia River Circuit Finals Rodeo in Redmond. The one thing I like about attending rodeos of this caliber is that I am able to see some of my old high school rodeo friends and reconnect with them. It feels good to know that I have an established family at the Oregon rodeos. Miss Rodeo Oregon, Jackie Gibson, had her sending off party the same weekend. She recited her speech, modeled some of her outfits, answered rodeo questions and all around had a great time! All I have to say is that I love her fashion show dress! It was beautiful.
After her party I was whisked away to Prineville by my father to judge the Miss Crooked River Round Up queen pageant. There were seven very accomplished horsewomen who wanted to represent the crown. I was excited to see them put their skills to the test and all of them excelled; creating a very enjoyable pageant. Miss Lacey McBeth was crowned Miss Crooked River Round Up queen for 2010! She will definitely represent this PRCA rodeo well.
A personal last event for the fall was my graduation from Northwest Christian University! I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.
The last Miss Rodeo Oregon event of the fall was attending the Miss Rodeo America pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada. My mother made the trip with me which made the trip even better. The pageant was held at The Orleans and the horsemanship portion was held at the SouthPoint. I was completely impressed with how talented all the ladies were. It created a riveting pageant to watch. Besides the Miss Rodeo America pageant, one of my favorite events was watching the University of Oregon vs. Oregon State civil war! The Gibson family allowed me to scream and yell in their suite as the Ducks and Beavers fought like champs for the opportunity to play the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Rose Bowl!
As many know and will find out, I am a diehard Duck fan and I was ecstatic to watch the game with an amazing family. GO DUCKS! Jackie was such a great representative. Everywhere I went people would say how much they loved her. She had a stand out personality and a grace that would rival any titleholder. My favorite portion of the competition was the horsemanship. The horses gave each girl some sort of problems. But Jackie didn’t even bat and eye at the troubles that the horses were causing. She sat tall and gave it all she had. I have to say that she can also break it down… you might be asking yourself what I mean but saying that. Well she is an awesome dancer. She was a stand out at the fashion show. Being her outgoing self, all eyes were on here as she sashayed across the stage to the talents of Miley Cyrus! Two thumbs, Jackie, two thumbs WAY up!
As 2009 draws to a close and 2010 opens up to new possibilities and adventures, I thank the Miss Rodeo Oregon board for helping me as much as they could with getting ready. Huge thanks goes to the Gibson family for being so hospitable to me and my mother in Vegas. Of course the biggest thanks go to my family. Not only have they been helping me get ready for my year, but they have been having fun with me also. My brother has even gotten in on the action, quizzing me and helping with designing clothes.
So, I bid you farewell for now and happy holidays! Live. Love. Rodeo!
Ashley Zeigler 2010 Miss Rodeo Oregon
Next entry: 2010 Starts with a bang!
