DNCFR

I couldn’t wait to share all of my amazing experiences from the DNCFR with everyone that visits my blog so since I bring my laptop on the road and had some down time I thought I would let everyone know what has gone on so far this week. The DNCFR is the crowning rodeo of the PRCA circuit system of regional competition. National circuit champions are determined in the elimination-style event. The rodeo consists of five performances and is broken into preliminary, semi-finals, and the finals or the Wrangler Round. The top eight contestants in each event qualify for the semi-finals round, all of the cowboy’s scores are erased. After that, the top four contestants from that round qualify for the Wrangler Round where again, their previous scores or times are erased. This is when your national champions are determined! Each event champion will receive a one year lease on a brand new Dodge pickup and will automatically be qualified in the first two rounds of the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour Playoffs later in the year. Pocatello, Idaho has hosted this event since it’s beginning in 1987!

There were 14 state queens selected to appear for their circuit and I was one of the lucky ones. Every state queen hopes to represent their circuit in March at the Holt Arena. I can not describe the feeling as Tim Fuller introduces me as Miss Rodeo Montana carrying the Montana Circuit flag every night. It is an honor to be here for Montana representing the entire state and its people. I can easily say I was able to touch the lives of many people while I was in Pocatello. I spent the week visiting sponsors, the assisted living homes, schools, and hospitals and I feel I left a piece of Montana with them and made a special place in my heart for all of the people I encountered during my visit. Thank you Pocatello!

I arrived safely in Pocatello on Tuesday evening in time to get checked into my hotel room with Miss Rodeo Oregon and Idaho. We quickly changed into our dresses and headed to the kick off party for the rodeo. I got to meet a lot of the other state queens I haven’t gotten to meet yet this year. After getting to know them this week they are really great girls and we all had such a great time together.

On Wednesday we woke up early for rehearsal at the arena. We rode Sutton horses and luckily I was already familiar with them from the Rapid City Stock Show. They are great horses to ride and some of the horses have been there almost every year since 87! They know the routine! After lunch all of the queens split into groups as our “official queen drivers” drove us around to different sponsors. We signed a lot of autographs and did some shopping. Next, my group was off to the assisted living home and then the hospital. It was a difficult but very touching afternoon. We met elderly people that didn’t have much to look forward to in their days but to have a group of 3 or 4 rodeo queens come in to visit and sign pictures pretty much gave them hope for another day. One man cried and another woman who could not move from her bed said she no longer had to pray to sleep because she could look at our beautiful pictures as she lay in her bed.

The Montana cowboys have been going strong! Curt LaDuke, Steven Lambert, and Andy Bolich are some of our best cowboys and are here to compete. Some of them will be making it back tonight (Friday) for the semi-finals round. We are so close to home there are plenty of Montana fans to help me in cheering them on to a National Championship! I will let everyone know how it turns out on my next blog. I can not forget to mention we already have a champion that will be returning home and he is J.C. Mortenson, one of Montana’s up and comings, he won the Mutton Bustin’ last night! I was once again proud to be from Montana! Check back on my blog soon and I will update everyone on the rest of the results and more of what I have been up to this week in Pocatello!