History of the Crown: Miss Rodeo Minnesota

To understand the history of the Miss Rodeo Minnesota crown, you must know the history of the man it was dedicated to.

The inside of the Miss Rodeo Minnesota crown has an engraving that reads “In Memory of Don Peterson” — a man that helped shape rodeo in Minnesota into what it is today.

Don Peterson was a businessman from Buffalo, Minnesota. Don was a huge advocate for rodeo in the state and was very involved in the community. He founded The Buffalo PRCA Championship Rodeo in 1955, which is Minnesota’s oldest continuous rodeo sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. He was also heavily involved in the creation of the Miss Rodeo Minnesota Association many decades ago, and even served as a State Director for several queens!

He was rarely seen without wearing a round top “Hoss Hat” and he was known for being a great guy with a big heart. He was a community-minded servant that was also involved in the building of the hockey arena in Buffalo (which is now dedicated in his honor as well) and he ran The Peterson Chapel, which is still operating today!

The Miss Rodeo Minnesota crown has been handed down from queen to queen since it was donated in the 1980s in Don’s honor. It’s an incredibly special and beautiful piece of Minnesota history, and it’s an honor to have a crown dedicated to such a great man.

– Miss Rodeo Minnesota 2020-2021, Samantha Sansevere

See more at MissRodeoAmerica.com