There are few activities more thrilling than rodeo. The roar of the crowd, the thud of heavy hooves on the arena floor, the booming call of the rodeo announcer… But while the laughter and cheers are heard again and again, perhaps the greatest moment of each rodeo occurs before the first bucking chute is loaded.
The United States National Anthem is an integral part of each rodeo. Quiet stretches across the stands as audience members listen and watch in reverence as the United States Flag waves from horseback and the vocalist stands in the arena proudly singing. The opportunity to sing the National Anthem is an honor and there are few places more thrilling to share that honor than with the dedicated fans of one of America’s oldest sport, rodeo! Say hello to Arizona songbird Randa Stratton-Dutcher, a cowgirl and singer who is dedicated to sharing her love of her country and rodeo on a national level.
Randa is no stranger to the rodeo arena or to the musical stage. A 5th generation native of Arizona, Randa has had a strong love for horses and music since she was a little girl. A love so strong that she is proud to share with her own children. Randa’s musical journey began at the age of 3 when she started learning and performing with her mother, aunts, and grandmother in their church. Since then, her love of music has only flourished. Randa has been honored to sing at various professional and collegiate sporting events around the country. One of her latest honors has been performing at the Arizona State Capital for The House of Representatives.
“When I sing the National Anthem, I pray that the hearts of all those that hear and sing along feel and know that America is a blessed Nation, a great country and that each of them is loved. This is my greatest desire that I can share my testimony of our great Nation and pay respect to the amazing patriots who have gave all and give now for our freedoms.”
As an active member of the Cowgirls Historical Foundation Randa is an ambassador of western heritage and the equestrian way of life. She feels her greatest blessings are her husband, children, family, and friends. Growing up, she was taught to “Cowboy Up,” be respectful, look people in the eye, and give a good handshake, all the same values she wishes to instill in her children. She also uses these talents when speaking to various women’s groups about empowerment and discovering their own natural gifts.
But let’s not forget rodeo! When Randa isn’t found singing at one of these events, she can be found in the rodeo arena sharing her love of country and song. Randa proudly shares how these opportunities “allow her to share in the strong sense of patriotism for our great nation with other fellow Americans.” Randa has been honored on multiple occasions to sing at rodeos across the beautiful state of Arizona and beyond.
As we quickly approach the 2019 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Randa is pursuing one of her lifelong dreams, singing the United States National Anthem at an NFR performance. Each year the NFR National Anthem contest takes the rodeo world by storm. Hopefuls from across the country submit YouTube videos where viewers vote for their favorites to compete in the 2 round of voting. From the top 30 competitors in round 2, 8 singers will be selected by a panel of judges to compete in a final round of voting, September 25th through October 3rd. The top 2 vocalists selected will each sing during one round of the NFR.
“I was taught to perform when I was little. From singing with my mom and her sisters to my dad having me recite poems, performing gymnastics tricks for Grandma in the living room or singing for everyone who stopped to talk to us. You see, I was painfully shy as a child. My parents were determined that I not be hindered by it. I’m grateful for their hard work and persistence. As the saying goes, hard work and persistence was always a better horse than genius. I hope this 4th year of persistence will pay off and I’ll be singing to you all in December at the year’s greatest rodeo event, the NFR.”
Randa shares,
“This is my 4th year going after this dream to sing at the Thomas and Mack Center. I’ve dreamt of this since I was 10 years old, sitting in the nosebleeds in Las Vegas.”
Round two of voting ends September 13th! Cowboy Lifestyle Network is proud to support Randa on her journey in the 2019 NFR National Anthem Contest! Make sure to cast your vote for one of the rodeo world’s favorite songbirds, Randa Stratton-Dutcher!
Make sure to vote for Randa HERE!
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