Looking for the best, Miss Days of the Old West
12 riders vie for Independence Day royalty titles
Katie Marie Almond
1999 Hailey Senior Queen
Lanae Jensen
1999 Hailey Teen Queen
Caitie Swan
1999 Hailey Junior Queen
Cheryl Pyne
Senior Queen contestant
Jana Wilding
Senior Queen contestant
Tara Rushton
Teen Queen contestant
(no photo available)
Angela Slack
Teen Queen contestant
Alicia Shaw
Teen Queen contestant
Monica Stoddard
Teen Queen contestant
Andrea Barendregt
Teen Queen contestant
(no photo available)
Cassi Rushton
Junior Queen candidate
Candi Hamrick
Junior Queen candidate
Hayley Hinojosa
Junior Queen candidate
Jentry Perkins
Junior Queen candidate
Kortnee Hurless
Junior Queen candidate
(no photo available)
Rodeos without women would be like wearing old socks. They
might get the job done, but they don’t look, smell or feel as good.
Providing the glitz and glamour for the 2000 edition of the Days of
the Old West Rodeo in Hailey will be 12 accomplished young ladies.
They are vying to be royalty of the annual Fourth of July event,
sponsored by the Sawtooth Rangers Riding Club.
Two women, Cheryl Pyne and Jana Wilding will compete for the Senior
Queen title.
The Teen Queen category features five contestants—Tara Rushton,
Angela Slack, Alicia Shaw, Monica Stoddard and Andrea Barendregt.
Five will also face off for the honor of Junior Queen—Cassi
Rushton, Candi Hamrick, Hayley Hinojosa, Jentry Perkins and Kortnee Hurless.
The Queen and her court will be crowned during the evening
performance on the Fourth of July, next Tuesday.
Contest coordinator for the seventh consecutive year is Michelle
Bobbitt of Bellevue, assisted by Kim Butler.
Leading up to the coronation of the Independence Day royalty is a
series of events and contests to determine the most worthy of the candidates.
Here is the schedule:
Friday, June 30: Some contestants will appear on KECH radio (95.3
FM) between 9-9:30 a.m. The girls will also be signing autographs between 3-5 p.m. at
Atkinsons’ Market in Hailey.
Saturday, July 1: A tea will be held at 11 a.m. at the Grange Hall
in Hailey.
The horsemanship contest begins at 3:30 p.m. at the Hailey Rodeo Arena.
New this year is a freestyle competition where competitors dress up in
costumes and perform any type of riding pattern or rail work to music. Hand-tooled split
reins courtesy of Lazy H Spear Appaloosas of Bellevue will be given to the winner.
Sunday, July 2: The girls make their first appearance in the Days
of the Old West Rodeo.
Wearing their show apparel for the grand entry in the evening, the
reigning royalty and contestants will assist with the cattle during the first of three
rodeos. Each performance begins at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, July 4: The contestants will line up for the Independence
Day parade at 11 a.m. and ride along the Mile Long route in Hailey at noon.
The girls’ horses will all be sporting brand new banners over their
flanks, courtesy of several valley businesses. After the parade, the girls will lend
assistance at the Button Barbecue at Hop Porter Park.
At the coronation Tuesday night, the overall high-point winner will
receive a saddle from the Sawtooth Rangers Riding Club, complete with breast collar from
the Wood River Equine Center and cantle plate by Sawtooth Equine Center.
Each winner in the Queen, Teen Queen and Junior Queen contests will be
awarded an engraved silver belt buckle donated by Sawtooth Ford Sales, plus a tooled
silver bracelet from Power Engineers, Cornerstone Realty, Glenns Grocery, Wood River
Welding and JMac Business and Management.
All contestants receive Hailey Days of the Old West t-shirts.
REIGNING ROYALTY
1999 Hailey Senior Queen
Katie Marie Almond, 19, is the
daughter of Judy and Dale Almond of Pocatello.
Katie just completed her freshman year at Ricks College. She is studying
in animal science and competed on the school’s rodeo team.
Last August, Katie won Miss Idaho Teen Rodeo Queen, representing Hailey as
Miss Days of the Old West.
Not only was Katie crowned Queen in Hailey last July, she also won Queen
Horsemanship, Poise and Personality and Miss Photogenics.
1999 Hailey Teen Queen
Lanae Jensen, 17, of Arco is the daughter of DeAnn Jensen
and Jay Vaughn.
Lanae was first runner-up in last week’s queen contest at the Idaho
State High School Rodeo Finals in Pocatello. She also qualified for the Silver State Rodeo
in Nevada in girls cow cutting.
1999 Hailey Junior Queen
Caitie Swan, 15, is the daughter of Becky and George Swan of
Twin Falls. In Hailey last year, Caitie was the winner of the Junior Queen Miss
Photogenics and Junior Queen Horsemanship.
QUEEN CANDIDATES
Cheryl Marie Pyne of Hailey is the 19-year old daughter of Maurice
and Merla Pyne. Cheryl was born and raised in the Wood River Valley and graduated from
Wood River High School in 1999.
Cheryl is enrolled in the American Airlines Academy in Daytona Beach,
Florida, where she will attend classes this fall in preparation in becoming an airline
stewardess.
Her hobbies include riding her horse, January, camping and helping young
children with the sport of rodeo.
Cheryl has a great love for horses and rodeos and believes rodeo queens
can do a lot to promote the great sport of rodeo.
Jana Wilding, 17, is the daughter of Frank and Jeannette Wilding of
Idaho Falls.
She recently graduated from West Jefferson High School with high
honors.
Jana was the varsity cheer captain, secretary of the WJ Rodeo Team,
co-drill mistress and a member of the Future Farmers of America and National Honor
Society. She was the 2000 West Jefferson Junior Miss and was also a 2000 Idaho Junior Miss
Finalist.
Jana had been an active participant in District One High School Rodeo for
the past four years, competing in barrel racing and pole bending.
She was named District Queen in 1999 and 2000 and also made the Wrangler
All Star Team. Jana has competed in the GVGRA, has been a 4-H horse club teen leader and
assistant for the Mud Lake Horse Show and queen contest.
Jana has taught dance and gymnastics for five years. Her other interests
include skiing, welding, camping and making scrapbooks. She will be attending Idaho State
University in the fall to major in physical education and double minor in dance and
health.
TEEN QUEEN CONTESTANTS
Angela Slack is the 13-year old daughter of Robert and Cynthia
Slack of Rupert.
Angela loves horses and being with family and friends.
At school, she plays volleyball, likes to dance and cheerlead and
participated in the operetta Cinderella.
She had been Miss Congeniality and First Attendant twice and also
participates in 4-H with horses and other animals.
Angela is a member of the American Dairy Goat Association, American Pony
Association and the Idaho State Horse Show Association.
Alicia Shaw is the 17-year old daughter of Hubert and Rita Shaw of
Dietrich. She enjoys singing, playing volleyball, riding her horse Voodoo and being with
friends and family.
Alicia will also be a contestant in the Miss Junior America contest in
August.
She wishes all the Hailey contestants good luck.
Monica Stoddard, 16, will be a junior at Nampa Senior High School
this fall. She has participated in high school rodeo and 4-H for two years.
Monica was the 1999-2000 Weiser Valley Round-Up Junior Queen and loves to
rodeo, dance, swim and shop. Her parents are Tim and Kim Stoddard of Nampa.
Tara Rushton is the 16-year old daughter of Boyd and Barbara
Rushton of Bellevue.
She was just named second runner-up in the queen contest at the Idaho
State High School Rodeo Finals in Pocatello.
Tara loves to go camping, fishing and hunting. She likes spending good
quality time with her family. She also enjoys going on long horseback rides and floating
the river.
Tara just completed her sophomore year at Wood River High School where she
competed in basketball, track and field, and rodeo.
Tara like to wish everybody a very happy Fourth of July.
Andrea Barendregt, 16, lives in Rupert with her parents.
JUNIOR QUEEN CONTESTANTS
·Cassi Ann Rushton is the 12-year-old daughter of
Boyd and Barbara Rushton of Bellevue.
Cassi was first runner-up in the Hailey Junior Queen contest last July.
She was also awarded the Junior Queen Poise and Personality title.
This fall, Cassi will be in the seventh grade at Hailey’s Wood River
Middle School.
What Cassi enjoys most is her family, friends, her horse Mac, playing
basketball and collecting Beanie Babies.
Candace "Candi" Hamrick is the 13-year old
daughter of Dan and Lorraine Hamrick of Jerome.
Candi’s interests include being with family, her horses and friends.
Her goals include winning this contest and progressing on to win Miss Rodeo America in the
future.
Candi has spent many hours and days practicing and working for this
contest. No matter what happens she hopes to come out with more experiences and friends.
Candi would like to thank her Dad and Lorraine.
"They support me fully and totally rearranged their schedules just
for me. I love you guys," she said.
Hayley Hinojosa lives in Bellevue on a small ranch with
her parents Mike and Cindy Hinojosa.
The 10-year-old attends Hemingway Elementary School in Ketchum. As a
member of the Sagebrush 4-H Riding Club, she loves to horseback ride. Hayley won a gold
medal in the U.S. Figure Skating Competition in Sun Valley.
Jentry Skye Perkins of Hailey is the daughter of Shelley
and Keith Booker and Kip Perkins.
Jentry is 11 years old and will be a sixth-grade student at Wood River
Middle School this fall. She will be riding her Appaloosa gelding Pete.
Kortnee Hurless, 12, of
Bellevue is the daughter of Mike and Shelly Hurless.
