By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
They’ve done their best and now they wait.
Saturday, July 9, was a busy day for the contestants in the 2016 Ellis Co. Rodeo Pageant. Winners will be announced Tue., July 19, during the first of two nights of KPRA Rodeo action at the Ellis County Fair.
Every rodeo queen should know her horsemanship, of course, and the young women and their horses performed early in the morning before the day’s heat kicked in. The Queen and Princess candidates were required to take their horses through a specific pattern, the Queen’s Run and the Flag Run in the Ellis County Fairgrounds Rodeo Arena.
The remainder of the pageant, Talent/Speech/Modeling and Impromptu Question, Personal Interview, and Written Test on Rodeo Knowledge, took place in the the air-conditioned auditorium at the K-State Agricultural Research Center. Taking on the tough job as judges were Dixie Balman and Brenda Meder, Hays, and Scott “Bronc” Barrows, WaKeeney.
Competing this year were Rodeo Queen contestants Hailey Fisher – Plainville, 15, and Jaylinn Pfeifer – Ellis, 15, and Rodeo Princess candidate Jaelyn Himmelberg – Lawrence, Neb., 10. Little Miss participants were Callie Betts – Ellis, 7, Ava Cunningham – Ellis, 2, and Cidnee Werth – Munjor, 5.
The Rodeo Queen will be awarded prizes including her choice of a $500 scholarship or a trophy saddle, the Queen tiara and sash, belt buckle, trailer decal and publicity photos. The Queen Runner-up will receive a trophy bridle bag. A trophy halter will be awarded for Queen Horsemanship with a leather padfolio for Queen Public Performance.
The Rodeo Princess will get a trophy breast collar for her horse, the Princess tiara and sash, belt buckle, trailer decal and publicity photos.
Awards will also be given as determined by contestants, judges and the pageant committee for Most Photogenic, Miss Best Hair, Miss Best Horse, Miss Best Boots, Miss Congeniality, and Miss Best Dressed. Each contest received an event participation package.
The outgoing rodeo royalty are 2015 Ellis Co. Rodeo Queen Kelli Buxton and 2015 Ellis Co. Rodeo Princess Cadence Dickey, who were at Saturday’s pageant.
Also in attendance at the pageant were Lauren Rumbaugh, 2016 Miss Rodeo Kansas, and Payton Welsh, 2016 Miss Rodeo Teen Kansas, both who will also be at the July 19 rodeo performance.
The 2016 Ellis Co. Rodeo Pageant committee members are Becky Pokorny, Stephanie Eckroat, Chantelle Arnold, Chelsea Dickey, Edna Hansen, Michele Springer, Kelli Buxton, Lakin Eckroat, and Cadence Dickey.
(Photos courtesy April Pfeifer)