LINCOLN -- When a rodeo queen rides into the spotlight, she's uniquely positioned to interject a splash of sparkle into the lives of fans eager to enjoy the glamour of the moment.
Winning a rodeo queen title deposits a cowgirl onto a stage that will test her grit and endurance, exerting demands that she polish skills such as public speaking, advanced horsemanship, knowledge of the sport, competitive technique, and the ability to entertain, understand and promote rodeo across all of its various aspects.
The guest list of visiting rodeo royalty expected to appear at the 68th annual Lincoln Riding Club Rodeo from Thursday through Saturday boasts some cowgirls with impressive titles including the recently crowned Miss Teen Rodeo USA Lana Carter of Crossett.
Miss ACRA 2021 Allie Baker shows up as the official ambassador for the American Cowboys Rodeo Association (ACRA), which co-sanctions the Lincoln Rodeo along with the International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA). According to her bio, the Pawhuska, Okla., cowgirl has spent time in the arena singing the national anthem and running barrels. She's also a licensed barber and cosmetologist with a strong interest in men's haircuts and straight razor shaves and hopes to open her own business in the future.
Allie's motto for life is "Be the reason someone smiles today... be the reason."
It's not uncommon for a top tier rodeo queen to travel as much as 100,000 miles throughout the United States and Canada promoting professional rodeo during a yearlong reign. Lincoln Riding Club Secretary/Reporter Sherry Smith envisions local cowgirls attaining that level, and she said she's done everything within her power in the last six months to up the ante for the local pageant.
"I would like to see us be able to grow our young ladies and help them in their skills and in their talents and their abilities and in their knowledge in the rodeo queen world," Smith said.
"There is a lot to offer for the ladies at the state and national levels and all the way up, and I would just like to see our girls be able to compete at that level, and that starts in our local pageants, and so that's why I got back involved is to see that happen."
Smith said she utilizes every asset at her disposal to promote the Lincoln Riding Club 2021 royalty pageant.
On June 18 she posted a photo of the 2021 Lincoln Riding Club Rodeo queen buckle on social media accompanied by dialogue designed to draw out the competitor in each candidate.
"Notice.... this buckle is looking for a home! Who has a belt it will fit?"
Among changes to the pageant this year, all queen contestants will ride sponsor-drawn horses instead of bringing their own mounts.
Smith, however, didn't just put that out there and leave the cowgirls dangling by a stirrup.
Smith wants the cowgirls trained and prepared. In another social media post Smith makes her intention abundantly clear, Lincoln Riding Club wants contestants to succeed in rodeo and life beyond the 2021 pageant.
"We hope to help our contestants with providing study helps for their interviews and rodeo knowledge test," Smith stated in a post, explaining contestants can now find all the Miss Lincoln Riding Club Horsemanship pattern possibilities as well as the junior queen and princess patterns by visiting lincolnridingclub.wixsite.com and going to the rodeo royalty page and scrolling down. A PDF showing the pattern possibilities can be downloaded.
No candidate knows which queen pattern they will be judged on as the pattern will be drawn on the day of horsemanship competition. Candidates for junior queen and princess can practice their patterns in advance, but the queen contestants better be familiar with three different variations.
The cowgirl who puts in the work to win a title will be rewarded handsomely. Among the additions for 2021, the Lincoln Riding Club queen receives a $1,000 scholarship upon completion of her reign plus takes home a buckle, saddle, crown and more accessories.
"I'm actually on staff with the Miss Rodeo America and Miss Rodeo USA and the Miss Rodeo Arkansas committees," Smith said. "I work with them, and I see what it does for the girls, and I would like to see our local girls have a part in that."
Also on the guest list are Miss Arkansas High School 2021 Riley Jo Gossett, Miss Rooster Days Teen Carson Hamilton, and Miss West Point Michaela Cooper. The Siloam Springs Riding Club will be represented by 2021 junior queen Brooklyn Sisemore and 2021 Lil' Miss Cheyanne Bailey Smith.
Mark Humphrey can be reached by email at mhumphrey@nwadg.com.