MRA Pageant Day 4

By Wrangler Network contributor Miss Rodeo America

This morning the contestants competed in the speech portion of the pageant. Extemporaneous speeches were the first event of the day, and the contestants were given five different, open-ended topics they could choose to speak on. They had 10 minutes to prepare one-and-a-half to two-minute speeches. The topics included:

~ Secret of getting ahead is getting started.
~ A woman is like a tea bag, you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.
~ what we think, we become.
~ it’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.
~ problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.

After the speech portion ,the winners of the scrapbook award were announced. The awards were presented by Kelly Baxley, MRA Scholarship Foundation Board Member and Past President and Scrapbook Committee Chair. The Cash Awards are sponsored by MRASF member and Past President Glenn Klaus and the rosettes are sponsored by Laurie Thoman.

4th place – Miss Rodeo Montana

3rd place – Miss Rodeo Wisconsin

2nd place – Miss Rodeo Kansas

1st place – Miss Rodeo Utah. An additional cash award, sponsored by Frankie Engel, for the best scrapbook cover went to Miss Rodeo Utah.

Following the speeches were the Horsemanship interviews, during which each contestant answered questions focusing on rodeo, equine science, sponsors, and agriculture.

This evening all 32 contestants had the prestigious honor of attending the PRCA Awards Banquet at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa. The annual event announces and recognizes the rodeo committees of the year, stock contractors and animal athletes of year and other honorable awards. The MRA organization and contestants were all extremely grateful to share the evening with the PRCA, their friends, and supporters.

Tomorrow will be the PRCA Luncheon where the contestants model their chaps and they will attend the first night of the 2016 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo!