Hays resident, FHSU grad named Miss Rodeo Kansas

McCaffrey will travel the state starting in January to represent the sport of rodeo. *Courtesy photo*

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Your son has a better chance of being an NFL player than your daughter being Miss Rodeo America.

Hays resident and recent FHSU graduate Tiffany McCaffrey, 23, will be one of 30 young women to vie for that title next year, after being elected Miss Rodeo Kansas 2020 on Aug. 3.

The Miss Rodeo Kansas is held in conjunction with the Dodge City Roundup Days. McCaffrey will be a lady in waiting until Jan. 1 when she will assume her full duties as rodeo queen. She will serve a year and will compete for Miss Rodeo America in December 2020.

“I am so excited,” she said. “I have spent so many years watching rodeo queens and following their journeys on Facebook, and now that I get to go do that, I am so awestruck. I have spent so many years imagining, but now I get to go live it.”

McCaffrey grew up on a small farm near Burlington, Colo., participating in 4-H and FFA.

McCaffrey said she looks forward to keeping her Western heritage alive during her reign as Miss Rodeo Kansas. *Cristina Janney/Hays Post*

She fell in love with rodeo while attending the local county fair, which hosted an annual PRCA rodeo. However, she didn’t learn to ride until she was a senior in high school.

“I always loved horses. From the time I can remember, my favorite animal was a horse,” she said. “Learning how to ride when I was a senior in high school, I was coming late to the game, but one thing I like to say is no matter how old you are or what you want to do, if you have a dream, if you have a passion, you should go ahead and do it no matter how old you are.

“It started at a really young age that I loved horses, so I knew someday my life was going to be involved in rodeo. The fact that I am here now is kind of God’s plan.”

On her road to her current title, she won a local rodeo title and then was named Miss Rodeo Fort Hays State for 2018.

McCaffrey’s degree is in tourism and hospitality management. She just finished an internship with the Hays Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. She said her studies at FHSU and internship were good foundations for the role as Miss Rodeo Kansas.

“My job is to spread awareness of rodeo and teach people what it’s about and keep our Western heritage alive,” she said.

“One great thing I like about rodeo is its rich history. Rodeo is based on agriculture, farming and our ranching background. I grew up on a ranch raising cows and bucket calves, so that really resonated with me. As cowboys, that is where it all really started was with ranching and the competitive side to see who could tie the calf the fastest and stuff like that.”

As Miss Rodeo Kansas, McCaffrey also will fundraise for the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund, which helps injured professional cowboys financially when they are unable to perform.

McCaffrey said she hopes her year as Miss Rodeo Kansas will help jump-start her career. Her dream job is to be a hospitality director for the PRCA.

She said she thinks the rodeo queen system is a good place for girls and young women to develop leadership skills.

“Having a passion for leadership and helping others is right along with what I believe as a rodeo queen,” she said. “Rodeo queens are servant leaders. You are there to serve your purpose of helping the rodeo committee and teaching others. With that leadership comes responsibility. It teaches you to be the best leader possible.”