Well it has been a most interesting and busy week for Miss Rodeo Montana. After a quick day to recuperate after the weekend in Billings and Lewistown I was off to get my Double H custom hat from Jimmy Harrison in Darby. Just so you all know, this small town Montanan girl relies heavily on mapquest.com and not to mention the fact I am just not the best with directions. In order to get to Darby the quickest (in miles) was to go through tiny little western Montana towns like Wisdom according to the all knowing mapquest. I soon found out this is not the best way to go as it took me well over four hours to arrive at my final destination. For a day trip it was quite a drive! But I made it safely and I got my custom hat! It is bone colored with black bound edging. On top of that, Jimmy whip stitched over 500 black Swavorski crystals into the bound edging. He had a silversmith put two custom cut outs on each side: the state of Montana with my initials and a crown with MRM 2007. This is a one-of-a-kind hat you won’t find anywhere! While in Darby, I visited the elementary school and showed a class of third graders my neat hat; they were all very impressed. After finishing up in Darby I traveled up the highway 60 miles to meet with Laura Bakker and Terri Boyer in Missoula; we put our heads together to come up with some good ideas for sponsors and fundraisers. I retreated back to Bozeman that night and it ended up being a much easier drive from Missoula. After the trip through Wisdom I started a list of highways in Montana NOT to take in the winter and if anyone is interested Highway 43 is included in that list, although I would love to take it sometime in the summer!
Next I was off to the Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo in Rapid City, SD. Once again I had traveling problems. I planned on taking I-90 the entire way and getting to Rapid with several hours to spare before the first rodeo performance since the drive was only going to be about seven hours. Silly me, I got to Billings where I was to turn south to Wyoming and wouldn’t you know the roads were all closed! After a lot of time on the cell phone with people checking road maps and weather conditions I found out I had no choice but to go the long way. When I say long, I am not exaggerating. I went all the way to Belfield, ND and south from there resulting in a 12 and a half hour drive rather than the “quick” seven hours that I had planned. Of course I didn’t make it to the rodeo in time and thankfully the folks in charge in Rapid City understood completely. I arrived late at night and met Miss Rodeo Oregon and Miss Rodeo Idaho who I roomed with all weekend. We were up bright and early the next morning for the Old Timer’s Breakfast. This was a modest event to attend. I talked to many South Dakota natives ranging from old cowboys, farmers and ranchers or just members of the community. They loved to be among the royalty as about eight state queens attended the breakfast. There was cowboy poetry, country music, and achievement awards presented. What an interesting event to have! Our next stop was Landstrom’s Black Hills Gold. We were taken through the shop where all of the jewelry is made. A person finds a new appreciation for Black Hills Gold after seeing the process each piece goes through to be made. Off to the rodeo! Two performances every day ensured us queens for a lot of good rodeo entertainment and that’s what we saw. Montana was very well represented during each performance. Curt LaDuke, Donna Leibrand, T.K. Leibrand, Colt Gorrell, and Andy Bolich were just some of the Montanan’s who made the Rapid City Stock Show and rodeo from Montana. One of the highlights to the weekend was getting to meet some of the other state queens for the first time. Idaho, Oregon, North and South Dakota, Colorado, Iowa, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Nevada were all very welcoming to me being the “new queen.” Saturday we helped with the auction that sold off old western items for the scholarship fund. I was proud to be from Montana as the historical items that were made here in Montana sold the highest every time! I returned to Bozeman “the short way” this time and it only took me eight hours. Man was I glad to be home! As I survived my first out of state trip I look back and I just never cease to be amazed of the wonderful state I stem from. Everyone I came in contact could relate to someone or something in Montana and was eager to tell me their story. I am so honored to represent this great state and most of all, the people in it; that’s the key ingredient in an honorable state: the people.
I have a week to work on sponsors and other miscellaneous things until I fly off to the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. I am hoping it will be warmer there and my travels go a bit smoother since I am flying and not driving! Until next week, best wishes Montana!
Next I was off to the Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo in Rapid City, SD. Once again I had traveling problems. I planned on taking I-90 the entire way and getting to Rapid with several hours to spare before the first rodeo performance since the drive was only going to be about seven hours. Silly me, I got to Billings where I was to turn south to Wyoming and wouldn’t you know the roads were all closed! After a lot of time on the cell phone with people checking road maps and weather conditions I found out I had no choice but to go the long way. When I say long, I am not exaggerating. I went all the way to Belfield, ND and south from there resulting in a 12 and a half hour drive rather than the “quick” seven hours that I had planned. Of course I didn’t make it to the rodeo in time and thankfully the folks in charge in Rapid City understood completely. I arrived late at night and met Miss Rodeo Oregon and Miss Rodeo Idaho who I roomed with all weekend. We were up bright and early the next morning for the Old Timer’s Breakfast. This was a modest event to attend. I talked to many South Dakota natives ranging from old cowboys, farmers and ranchers or just members of the community. They loved to be among the royalty as about eight state queens attended the breakfast. There was cowboy poetry, country music, and achievement awards presented. What an interesting event to have! Our next stop was Landstrom’s Black Hills Gold. We were taken through the shop where all of the jewelry is made. A person finds a new appreciation for Black Hills Gold after seeing the process each piece goes through to be made. Off to the rodeo! Two performances every day ensured us queens for a lot of good rodeo entertainment and that’s what we saw. Montana was very well represented during each performance. Curt LaDuke, Donna Leibrand, T.K. Leibrand, Colt Gorrell, and Andy Bolich were just some of the Montanan’s who made the Rapid City Stock Show and rodeo from Montana. One of the highlights to the weekend was getting to meet some of the other state queens for the first time. Idaho, Oregon, North and South Dakota, Colorado, Iowa, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Nevada were all very welcoming to me being the “new queen.” Saturday we helped with the auction that sold off old western items for the scholarship fund. I was proud to be from Montana as the historical items that were made here in Montana sold the highest every time! I returned to Bozeman “the short way” this time and it only took me eight hours. Man was I glad to be home! As I survived my first out of state trip I look back and I just never cease to be amazed of the wonderful state I stem from. Everyone I came in contact could relate to someone or something in Montana and was eager to tell me their story. I am so honored to represent this great state and most of all, the people in it; that’s the key ingredient in an honorable state: the people.
I have a week to work on sponsors and other miscellaneous things until I fly off to the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. I am hoping it will be warmer there and my travels go a bit smoother since I am flying and not driving! Until next week, best wishes Montana!
1 comment:
Hello Magen, We are so proud of you and we just wanted you to know it.. We will be checking your blog every week to see what your up-to..
We hope your coming to Livingston for our Rodeo July 2-4..
Love you from the Wood Family
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