Hello Miss Rodeo Texas Fans,
As I head home to spend Thanksgiving with my family, I was thinking about how fast the month of November has gone by. During the last few weeks, I have had the pleasure of being a part of some exciting appearances. Starting off with the San Antonio Special Olympics “Over the Edge” Day, where I am very happy to say, I made many new friends! Two young women who now hold a special place in my heart are Katherine and Ashley.
I had the privilege to watch these two very brave young women rappel down the side of the San Antonio Milam Building! I must say that when I arrived that morning, saw the height of the building, and the volunteers setting up the equipment for the athletes, I was very nervous for the girls. Ever since I was a young girl I have always been terrified of heights. For Katherine and Ashley, rappelling down tall buildings is a challenge they love and welcome. It was breathtaking to be watching these brave girls come down the side of the building in their harnesses. I admire them for their bravery and for being such an inspiration to others.
The following weekend there was a stampede heading for Allen, Texas as the Texas Stampede Rodeo kicked off Thursday, November 8, with the Charity Gala. The Texas Stampede Rodeo is the 4th largest PRCA rodeo in Texas, and is unique since the proceeds from the rodeo go towards benefiting Children’s Charities in Northeast Texas. Also, I am very proud to say that I won the title of Miss Texas Stampede 2011 and that it was the title that I took to the 2012 Miss Rodeo Texas pageant. At the Charity Gala, I helped with greeting guests and showcasing items during the live auction. It was nice to meet people from all over Texas who came to this event in support of children’s charities. I truly enjoyed being able to help such a great cause. Friday and Saturday were full of exciting PRCA rodeo action. Prior to the rodeo, I visited the sponsor suites to thank the generous sponsors who make it possible to put on such a prestigious rodeo. During the rodeo I made a presentation ride, helped with the Mutton Bustin’ and Chuck Wagon Races. After the rodeo I signed autographs and took pictures with rodeo fans. I had a lovely time in Allen and it was a real pleasure to return to the rodeo after winning Miss Texas Stampede in 2011.
On November 12, I attended the Opera Guild of San Antonio’s 18th Annual Fall Festival of Music at the Pearl Stables. I have always had a deep love and appreciation for music and greatly enjoyed listening to the opera singers. The next day, I was off to Hondo, Texas for the South Texas Cattlewomen’s meeting where I had the honor of presenting the program. Sharing my life story, my experiences thus far as Miss Rodeo Texas, and providing information on both the Miss Rodeo Texas and Miss Rodeo America pageant with fellow cattlewomen felt like second nature to me. Marjorie Murphy, Terry Chandler, and I prepared a little surprise for the Cattlewomen at the end of my presentation. We decided that since I have been studying and working very hard to prepare for the national pageant that I could turn the tables and have a little fun quizzing these women on their knowledge of cattle and Texas. I created a few questions and placed them in a basket for the Cattlewomen to randomly draw and answer. Answering these trivia questions was very entertaining and everyone had a good laugh trying to guess the answers. I appreciate these ladies giving me their time and for giving me a warm send off for the national pageant.
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On Wednesday, my travels took me to Poteet, Texas for their Rotary Club meeting. We had a delicious home cooked lunch, and I visited with Rotary members about the Miss Rodeo Texas organization and how being Miss Rodeo Texas has forever changed my life in a positive way. I also visited Poteet High School and Southwest High School to speak to students about Miss Rodeo Texas, the importance of education, and how through hard work they can accomplish their dreams. I love speaking to young adults, using my life experiences to motivate them to set goals and achieve them.
Saturday November 17, my travels took me to Bulverde, Texas for the Tejas Rodeo Championship Rodeo. During the grand entry, I made a presentation ride on a beautiful paint mare named ‘Lena’. Immediately following the grand entry I headed to the Mutton Bustin’ station to help get the contestants fired up and ready to compete. The children were ecstatic to ride in the finals. I loved being there to cheer them on and present them with their ribbons. After the rodeo, I helped with the awards ceremony and took pictures with each event champion and year end champion.
Sunday afternoon Ida Scott, Miss Rodeo Texas Secretary, treated me to a Randy Travis concert at the Majestic Theater in downtown San Antonio. While at the concert I happened to run into Miss Wheelchair America, Mariah, and even had my picture taken with her. We had a great time listening and singing along to some of Randy’s greatest hits. At the end of the concert I even had a chance to say hello and shake Randy Travis’ hand.
I would like to thank San Antonio Special Olympics, Katherine, Ashley, Texas Stampede Rodeo, Opera Guild of San Antonio, South Texas Cattlewomen, Marjorie Murphy, Terry Chandler, Poteet Rotary, Poteet High School, South West High School, Tejas Rodeo, and Ida Scott for being a part of my travels as Miss Rodeo Texas during November. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with great company and food!