Many Utahns wait all year for rodeo season. During the rodeos, the queens keep the crowd entertained and represent the city.
Rodeo queens are a quintessential part of the rodeo experience. Not only do they serve as official ambassadors for the sport of rodeo, but they also celebrate the “western way of life.”
To hold a Spanish Fork rodeo queen title, the women must compete in categories such as horsemanship and interview.
“I’ve only done it for three years before this,” Winter Series Rodeo Queen Jaina Johnson said. “So, this is a great stepping path into getting into bigger royalties in PRCA.”
Rodeo time is busy for the queens. They spend their days caring for the horses and their knights in chaps and boots. They help with the mutton busting, interact with families and run sponsored flags throughout the arena.
“I could not be more excited, this title and rodeo has been a dream of mine ever since I started my queening journey. And I just feel so excited and proud and I just feel like I need to take this moment, take a deep breath, and just soak it all in,” Jane Tanner,
Spanish Fork Fiesta Days Rodeo Queen, said.
The rodeo queens warm-up their horses before each rodeo night. Making sure they have a good partnership with their horse is key to succeeding in the arena.
“My horse’s name is Gypsy, she is my tried and true,” Tanner said. “She seriously takes such good care of me, I could not do it without her.”
Outside of the rodeo, the queens also interact with the wider community and serve as a role model for kids.
During the school year, they encourage students to read and engage with the rodeo.
“I think that’s the number one thing you have to have as a rodeo queen, is just love for what you’re doing,” Johnson said.
Being a rodeo queen can bring success outside of the arena too. Chris Ivy, a member of the riding club, said his daughters who competed all blossomed while being a rodeo queen.
“Being a rodeo queen, it takes a lot of confidence,” Johnson said. “I actually started out more of an introvert type of personality, and I would recommend it to anybody who feels like they could get into it, even if they’re really shy.”
“I remember being that little kid in the stands and looking at the rodeo queens and dying to be a part of it,” Tanner said. “Now that I’m in the role, I want to be that one word of encouragement, inspiring the next generation of rodeo queens.”
The Spanish Fork Rodeo chooses a new rodeo queen every year before their competition.
Whether it’s representing the rodeo, working with horses or giving kids high fives, the Spanish Fork Rodeo Queens do it all.
Not all queens live in castles, these ones ride on horses.