Dear Wyoming:

Happy Valentine's Day!! Love is certainly in the air and as I travel around the state, I fall deeper in love with the great state of Wyoming!! This weekend, I had the opportunity to travel up to Gillette for the Winter Western Pro-Rodeo. What a trip!! My mom accompanied Louie and me and I greatly appreciated her help and companionship during the 8 hour drive!! 

We left Alta early on Friday morning in a snow storm. I have always liked to live on the wild side so we took a tour of Wyoming by going up through Thermopolis, Ten Sleep and Worland on our way to Gillette. I absolutely love that part of the state and we got to see a multitude of wildlife as we drove through the canyons!!

The funny part of our journey was when we decided that Louie needed a bath before arriving in Gillette... So my mom and I took him through a touch-less car wash in Worland. It was quite an adventure to begin with, but to add to it, we either didn't notice or didn't pay attention to the storm clouds that loomed ahead of us... Well, we got a few miles up the road with Louie looking nice and shiny and before we knew it, Louie was caked with mud and ice from the snow storm that we drove through! I guess we learned a valuable lesson: Don't wash the truck until we get to our destination!! 

The rodeo on Friday night was excellent!! I enjoyed riding a horse named Mick, owned by Hank and Lori Franzen, and I was honored to carry the American flag in the grand entry! I was joined by three other queens: Tashayla Storbeck, Wyoming High School Queen, Caitlyn DeNayer, Miss Rodeo Crook County and Laramie Noyce, Crook County Princess, and we had  a blast carrying sponsor flags and clearing cattle for the timed events! We also enjoyed watching some of Wyoming's finest cowboys and cowgirls compete on the great Wyoming stock provided by the Powder River Rodeo Company!!

My mom and I were able to stay with a friend of ours, Donna Ricks, who lives down the road in Moorcroft. Donna is a former 4-H leader and was our neighbor in Alta before she moved to Moorcroft. She lives on the Burch Rodeo Ranch and she gave us a tour of the operation which is run by her brother and nephew. It was cool to see what it takes to be a top stock contractor for the PRCA!

Donna also took us to see Devils Tower on Saturday morning!! My mom and I had never been to Devil's Tower so it was a great experience!! Especially since it was snowing like crazy!! We even walked all the way around the tower... trudging through the snow!! I took some great pictures and I will look back at this experience for a long time!!

I am grateful for the wonderful hospitality that we received in Gillette both from the Powder River Rodeo Company and the community of Gillette!! I look foreword to my next trip to that part of the state!! In the meantime... I am thinking warm weather and sunglasses as I gear up for my trip to Florida!!  

Until next time...

God Bless,

Erin Heffron

Miss Rodeo Wyoming 2010

Dear Wyoming:

It may be cold here in Rapid City, South Dakota, but we have been cooking up a storm at the Black Hills Stock Show!! I have been here in South Dakota for almost a week and we have been busy!!

We started the week off with the Seminole Hard Rock Xtreme Bulls Tour Stop. It was two nights of action packed bull riding as we watched South Dakota native Clay Hindman win the event. It was fun to see the South Dakotan fans cheering on a hometown cowboy! I helped carry flags along with three other state queens, Miss Rodeo South Dakota (Mckenzie Haley), Miss Rodeo Iowa (Jordanne Blaire), and Miss Rodeo Virginia (Anita Moorehead). 

The rest of the week has been very eventful as we went from school visits and hospital tours to visiting Mt. Rushmore!! We even went to an indoor waterpark and splashed down the waterslides!! There are a total of 9 state queens here for the rodeo this weekend. South Dakota, Idaho, Oregon, New Mexico, Virginia, North Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa are all represented by some great young ladies of rodeo! We have had a blast getting to know each other!!

Tonight was our first rodeo and it was very exciting!! It was Tough Enough To Wear Pink night so it was cool to see a sea of pink both in the arena and in the stands. The T.E.T.W.P. program is a great program that provides breast cancer awareness and research. With the help of the rodeo community, we have raised over 5 million dollars!!

We had the opportunity to carry flags after each event. My horse's name is Petey and he and I are good buddies!! The Sutton Rodeo Company supplies each of us with great horses and has provided us with rooms to stay for the week! During the rodeo we got to watch great competitors like Jason Havens and Taos Muncy and we were entertained by the one and only Keith Isley. It was a great rodeo and I look foreword to a fun filled weekend at the Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo!!!

Cheers!

Erin Heffron

Miss Rodeo Wyoming 2010

My First Official Rodeo

Jan 14^th

Dear Wyoming:

Ready, set, go… and the gun goes off for the race of my year as Miss Rodeo Wyoming at the National Western Stock Show! I just got back from my first official rodeo in Denver and it will be a night to remember!! Although I have been to hundreds of rodeos, carried many flags and picked up multiple mutton busters, tonight was special because I proudly wore the jade crown of my lovely homestate!!

            Today started off early with an elementary school visit with Miss Rodeo Colorado, Miss Rodeo North Dakota, Miss Rodeo Wisconsin and Miss Rodeo America. We had the opportunity to share our passion for the sport with eager young kids from the Denver area. I was impressed at how attentive they were to listen to us!

            Once we arrived back at the stock show, we met up with Miss Rodeo Nebraska and went to award the junior champion market goat award. Although we didn’t get to see the whole show, I know how much work went into preparing for the show so I appreciated the young girl who won the award.

            We added more queens to our group as Miss Rodeo Mississippi and Miss Rodeo Utah joined us for the rodeo. We arrived at the arena an hour early and we were very eager to put on our chaps for the first time!! Words cannot express the excitement that we felt as we were announced on the floor of the rodeo arena. It was great to be able to share this experience with girls who are as passionate and excited about rodeo as I am!!

            Cervi Championship Rodeo provided wonderful steeds for us to carry sponsor flags. I was very impressed at how efficient the rodeo producers were in getting us into the arena and then opening the chutes for the competitors as soon as we exited. From the opening ceremony to the final bull that bucked, the rodeo was very well run.

            My first rodeo was an indescribable experience only to be followed by many more!!

 

God Bless!

Erin Heffron

Miss Rodeo Wyoming 2010

Meet Louie!!

January 5^nd, 2010

Dear Wyoming:

            Meet Louie!! A brand new 2010 half-ton Dodge Ram Hemi! It was love at first sight when I walked into Fremont Motors and saw a shiny new white truck waiting for me in the showroom!! I was greeted by a wonderful staff at Fremont Motors who were very excited to provide me with Dodge trucks throughout the year! Dean Parker, the general manager of Fremont Motors has been incredible by providing me with a new truck every six-thousand miles!!

            Travis, the salesman, gave me a rundown on all the special features Louie has to offer. The odometer read 41 miles as I sat in the truck in the showroom. Louie features a luxurious interior and is equipped with a satellite radio (which I’m sure will come in handy as I drive across the remote areas of Wyoming). Louie is a classy white truck and I know we look flashy driving down the road!!

            Louie got his name as I drove down to Laramie for the Jubilee Days Coronation. I knew that I would have him for a short time and as I tried out names, Louie just stuck!! Look for Louie and I as we drive through your town in style!!

 

Until next time,

Cheers!

Erin Heffron

Miss Rodeo Wyoming 2010

A Big Thanks!!

12/31/09

Dear Wyoming:

I woke up this morning knowing that by the end of the day today, I would officially be Miss Rodeo Wyoming! I had to pinch myself to remind myself that this is all real. It would be selfish of me to think that I did this all by myself because I owe this wonderful year ahead of me to my loving parents, the community that raised and supported me, all of my close friends and the 7 other amazing girls that I competed with.

I want to take a moment to recognize the 7 young ladies who graciously competed with me for the prestigious title of Miss Rodeo Wyoming. They came from all corners of the state and each one has touched not only my life, but also the lives of the citizens they represented. It is my pleasure to introduce to you the true ladies of Wyoming as I know them.

Ashlee Estel, Miss Laramie Jubilee 2009 comes by her nickname of “Shorty” honestly. She may not be tall, but anyone who knows her can attest to her brilliant personality and honest laugh. Ashlee is generous and kind hearted and she always puts other people first. Last fall, when I was going to school and running cross country at the University of Wyoming, Ashlee invited me to help her ride her horses. She ended up having more horses than she could ride and knew that I needed some horse medicine. We spent a few afternoons riding and getting to know each other. Ashlee and I have shared many laughs throughout the year and I am thankful for her friendship!

I met Miss Rodeo Crook County, Raenell Edsall two years ago in our photography class. Raenell and I sat on different sides of the room but even on our first day of class, I could tell that this girl had a passion for agriculture. We were required to present our class projects at the end of the semester and her photos really reflected her personality. Raenell is a classy girl who can make zebra striped chaps look good! I had a great time getting to know Raenell this year and I am excited to keep up with her life after her graduation this fall!!

When I think of Lacey Strub, Miss Cody Nite Rodeo, the first word that comes to my mind is cowgirl! I first met Lacey at the Miss Rodeo Wyoming Clinic and I was very impressed with her knowledge of the sport of rodeo. She is originally from Montana but moved to Cody and spent quite a bit of time working for the Cody Nite Rodeo. This was the perfect fit for Lacey because she can spout out any rule and knows the ins and outs of how a rodeo performance is put together. Lacey is quick to smile and is poised and a knowledgeable spokesperson for the sport.

Sadie Rabold, Evanston Cowboy Days Queen is one of my favorite people in the world! She kept all of us giggling during the competition and almost had me rolling on the floor laughing more than once!! Sadie is blessed with the gift of humor and was very good at lightening the mood during the pageant. I didn’t know Sadie very well before the pageant but after the few days we spent together I feel like I’ve known her for years. This is a quality that many people strive for and Sadie accomplishes this with grace and poise.

I had the opportunity to work with Brittany Richards, Miss Butch Cassidy Days, three years ago. She was very gracious in pushing me in the right direction and she helped get me started with queening. Throughout the years, I’ve been able to work with Brittany on numerous different projects such as her “Random Girls on Horseback” club that she created at the University of Wyoming to get girls involved with the homecoming parade. Brittany has a passion for the sport of rodeo and she is very proud of the western heritage. She has been actively involved with the Wyoming Territorial Prison and is a spirited tour guide!

My first experience with Jamie Pond was the first year I attended Laramie Jubilee Days. She worked tirelessly to find a horse for me to ride during the rodeo and parade so I wouldn’t have to haul my horse across the state. Since that summer, Jamie and I have shared many experiences and she also took me under her wing to teach me the ins and outs of the world of queening. We have some great stories to tell about branding at her uncle’s ranch so next time you see Jamie, be sure to ask her about “professional calf riding!!” Jamie has a big heart and is quick to laugh and spread her enthusiasm for the sport we all love so much! I am honored to call Jamie Pond my friend.

Shawna Praeuner, Miss Rodeo Weston County has the ability to brighten up a room with her funny speeches and her sweet smile! I have had the opportunity to get to know Shawna through various queen functions over the past year. After going to clinics and rodeos, I was able to see the passion that Shawna has for Wyoming and the sport of rodeo. She is very comfortable on horseback and holds a deep respect for her family who has shaped her into who she is today.

Each of these girls has a special place in my heart and I am so thankful that we had the opportunity to get to know each other during the week we spent competing for the coveted title of Miss Rodeo Wyoming! I never would have had the opportunity to get to know these girls if we didn’t all make the decision to put ourselves out there to compete for the title! Ashlee, Raenell, Lacey, Sadie, Brittany, Jamie and Shawna, thank you for your support and friendship!!

God bless!!

Erin Heffron

Miss Rodeo Wyoming 2010

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