The annual Miss Rodeo America Pageant is November 30 – December 6, 2014 at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. State title holders from across the continental United States and including Alaska and Hawaii will compete in a week long pageant format for the title of Miss Rodeo America 2015. The contestants are judged on appearance, personality and horsemanship. The fashion show, speech sessions, horsemanship competition and silent auction are open to the public. Additional categories include a personal interview with the judges, photogenic modeling session and a written test. While Winter Strom Astro blanked the country and drew media attention there is another storm brewing inside many homes where luggage, rubber totes and racks of clothing are being considered by state rodeo queens and their families. While some titleholders will haul a trailer to Las Vegas with their wardrobe, others will fly with tons of luggage or ship clothes making packing for the pageant a logistical operation. The bell hops outside the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino will have their carts full on check-in. Cowgirl boots, Bailey hats, leather dresses, western shirts, pressed Wrangler jeans are certainly part of the wardrobe however there are other items including lots of hair spray, makeup and purses. Former Miss Rodeo South Dakota Kristina Maddock competed last year. She shared with Cowboy Lifestyle Network about her essentials she packed for the pageant. “I believe I had 11 hats and somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 pairs of boots!,” she commented. Don’t forget many state title holders bring a fan base of family, friends and local pageant officials to cheer them on all week long. To make packing for the pageant even harder there is the empty suitcases that need to be hauled down for all the Cowboy Christmas shopping loot waiting at the numerous gift shows. Maddock also remembered, “I packed an eye mask so I could sleep without having to close the blackout shades and a Keurig (I had a cup of coffee while I was getting ready every morning and then a cup of Sleepytime Tea before bed every night!) are a couple that come to mind.” She added, “TONS of sticky back Velcro, double sided tape and safety pins. There’s a good reason you never see rodeo queens with gapping shirts – we’re held together with Velcro and fashion tape!” Cowboy Lifestyle Network will be onsite to bring you an inside look at the 2015 Miss Rodeo America pageant. Follow us our social media platforms. Interested in joining us in person then Miss Rodeo American Inc. has tickets for the fashion show, speech sessions and coronation for purchase on their website www.missrodeoamerica.com.
Gretchen Kirchmann is a veteran journalist covering a variety of events across the country each year. She founded Kirchmann Media Group in 2009 and works as a marketing consultant with a forte for the western lifestyle industry, festivals, fairs and rodeo world. Her work includes 15 national communication awards plus coverage of Nashville's CMT Awards and CMA Fanfest. A favorite assignment was attending the all cast reunion of the Dukes of Hazard in 2006 and 2007 at Dukesfest. In December you will find her covering the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and Miss Rodeo America pageant live from Las Vegas. Her favorite color is orange, favorite song "Rocky Top" and she loves to dance especially clogging.
