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Produced & Maintained by Idaho Mountain Express, Box 1013, Ketchum, ID 83340-1013 
208.726.8065 Voice
208.726.2329 Fax

Copyright © 2001 Express Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Express Publishing Inc. is prohibited. 

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For the week of June 27 - July 3, 2001

  Sports

Time to saddle up 
for Miss Days 
of the Old West

Independence Day rodeo 
royalty in Hailey


Nine accomplished young ladies will try to put together the right package of glamour and riding ability for the judges in the 2001 edition of the Miss Days of the Old West contest.

Sponsored by the Sawtooth Rangers Riding Club, the annual contest is held in conjunction with the Days of the Old West rodeo in Hailey.

Two women, Cheryl Pyne and Allyson Swan, will vie for the Senior Queen title.

The Teen Queen category features four contestants—Morgan Anselmi, Jaclyn Bruhn, Kari Gooding and Lynnsey Roberts.

Three will face off for Junior Queen—Jentry Perkins, Hayley Hinojosa and Kali Jo Hess.

The 2001 Miss Days of the Old West and her court will be crowned during the Fourth of July rodeo performance on Wednesday, July 4.

Contest coordinator for the eighth consecutive year is Michelle Bobbitt of Bellevue.

Leading up to the coronation of the Old West royalty are events and contests designed to introduce the young women to the Wood River Valley—and determine the most worthy of the candidates. The schedule:

  • Monday, July 2: Poise and personality contest at Hailey Grange Hall at 11 a.m.

Judges will interview each candidate individually in the personal interview test. There will be modeling, and each girl will give a short speech on "Old West vs. New West," then answer impromptu questions.

For the first time, there will be speech prizes given for all three categories.

First rodeo at 7 p.m. Congeniality voting tonight.

  • Tuesday, July 3: Horsemanship (required pattern and freestyle) at Hailey Rodeo Arena at 10 a.m.

Second rodeo at 7 p.m.

  • Wednesday, July 4: Parade lineup at 11 a.m. and parade at 12 noon. Contestants are asked to participate in the Button Barbecue after the parade at Hop Porter Park. Rodeo and royalty coronation at 7 p.m.

At the coronation, the overall high-point winner will receive a saddle from the Sawtooth Rangers Riding Club, complete with a matching breast collar from Wood River Equine Hospital.

Each winner in the Queen, Teen Queen and Junior Queen contests will be awarded an engraved silver belt buckle donated by Sawtooth Auto Sales plus many other prizes.

 


Reigning Royalty


2000 Hailey Senior Queen

Jana Wilding, 18, is the daughter of Frank and Jeannette Wilding of Idaho Falls. She is a 2000 high honors graduate of West Jefferson High School in Terreton.

Last July, Jana swept to the Hailey Senior Queen title, winning Miss Photogenics as well as poise and personality and horsemanship in the Senior Queen category. She was the freestyle horsemanship winner, too.

Jana enjoys every aspect of being a cowgirl—from working cattle and riding the range, to the thrill of participating in rodeo. She was awarded the title of Miss Teen Rodeo Idaho for 2001 at the Gooding Fair and Rodeo last August.

An honor student, she is currently attending Idaho State University in Pocatello with a physical education major and double minor in health and dance. Recently, she was chosen as a Bengal Dancer for 2001 and awarded a $1,500 scholarship as a member.

As Miss Teen Rodeo Idaho, Jana traveled to Colorado, Texas and Arizona and throughout the Gem State making appearances and attending rodeos.

An active advocate of rodeo, Jana is a member of the Idaho Horse Council, the Friends of Rodeo and the Idaho Riding Association.

While in high school Jana taught dance and gymnastics for five years. And she has been active in community service throughout her reign as Miss Teen Rodeo Idaho.

She is a wish grantor for the Make a Wish Foundation, a volunteer for Equestrian Special Olympics, a counselor for Idaho Drug-Free Youth Summit, and a counselor for Idaho Leadership Forum for Teenagers with Disabilities.

 


2000 Hailey Teen Queen

Tara Ann Rushton is the 17-year-old daughter of Boyd and Barbara Rushton of Bellevue. Tara has just returned from state high school rodeo where she qualified to compete in barrel racing.

She is the reigning Fifth District High School rodeo queen. Last year Tara was second runner-up at the Idaho State High School Rodeo Finals in Pocatello.

In becoming the 2000 Hailey Teen Queen, Tara won Teen Queen Miss Photogenics, poise and personality and horsemanship. She enjoyed her reign. "It has been spectacular," Tara said.

Tara has just completed her junior year at Hailey’s Wood River High School, where she competed in basketball, track and high school rodeo. She is the team captain for basketball.

Good, quality time with her family is important to Tara, who loves to go hunting, fishing and camping. She enjoys going on long horse rides and floating the river.

Tara would like to wish everybody a Happy Fourth.

 


2000 Hailey Junior Queen

Kortnee Hurless is the 13-year-old daughter of Mike and Shelley Hurless of Bellevue. Last year’s Miss Days of the Old West was her first contest.

An honor roll student at Hailey’s Wood River Middle School, she runs barrels and poles in rodeo. Kortnee’s hobbies include basketball, skiing, reading and working with her horse Orville. She uses Orville in 4-H, too.

She won Junior Queen horsemanship in last year’s contest.

 


Senior Queen candidates


Allyson Swan is the 18-year-old daughter of the late George Swan and Becky Swan, of Twin Falls.

A 2001 Twin Falls High School graduate, Allyson was a member of the National Honor Society, a varsity cheerleader and the president of her rodeo team.

She competed in high school rodeo for four years. In two of those years, Allyson was Miss Idaho State High School rodeo queen. Then, she was first attendant two years running at the National High School Rodeo.

"Ali," as most friends and family call her, plans on attending Weber State University in Ogden, Utah this fall majoring in Lifestyle Management. She will also compete on the WSU rodeo team in the spring.

 


Cheryl Marie Pyne is the 20-year-old daughter of Maurice and Merla Pyne of Hailey. At last year’s Hailey rodeo, she was first runner-up in the Senior Queen contest.

Born and raised in the Wood River Valley, Cheryl graduated from Wood River High School in 1999. She played alto saxophone in school bands throughout her school career.

She was an active participant in high school rodeo for three years, competing in barrel racing and pole bending. Cheryl won the Jim West Memorial Award for perseverance in her senior year of high school rodeo.

Cheryl took part in Champions Rodeo Camp for four years and won the queen title of the camp in 1999. She was a contestant in Miss Teen Rodeo Idaho 2000.

This past year, Cheryl attended Airline Academy in Daytona Beach, Fla. maintaining a 3.5 GPA. She’ll graduate this fall, with hopes of becoming an stewardess. Currently she is employed at Blaine County Title.

She loves to spend time with family and friends. Helping young people with the sport of rodeo is another of her enthusiasms. Cheryl’s hobbies include riding horses, traveling to see the sights and camping.

 


Teen Queen contestants


Morgan Anselmi, 14, just graduated from the eighth grade at Shelley Junior High School with a 4.0 GPA. She lives with her grandparents Tom and Leslie Williamson in Idaho Falls.

She is a member of the school choir, Renaissance Club and National Junior Honor Society. Morgan enjoys water and snow skiing, fishing, singing and dancing.

Recently, Morgan won the National English and Math Merit Awards.

 


Jaclyn Bruhn is the 16-year-old daughter of Monte and Anna Bruhn of Filer.

She will be a junior at Filer High School, where she participates in volleyball, basketball, track and rodeo. Her rodeo events include team roping, breakaway roping, barrels and goat tying.

By finishing as first attendant in the Sixth District High School Rodeo finals, Jaclyn qualified for last week’s Idaho State High School Rodeo championships staged in Pocatello.

She has competed in numerous queen contests. Among Jaclyn’s titles are Buhl Junior Rodeo Queen in 1997, Lincoln County Princess in 1999, Twin Falls Western Days Teen Queen in 2000 and fourth attendant at Miss Teen Rodeo Idaho in 2000.

 


Kari Gooding is the 15-year-old daughter of Liz Gooding. Kari believes "what is good for the inside of a man is the outside of a horse."

She is a freshman honor roll student at Fruitland High School where she participates in volleyball, basketball and drill team. Kari is also involved in Horse 4-H and Horse Bowl.

Riding horses since the age of two, Kari now rides a three-year-old AQHA filly. She has held numerous rodeo queen titles through the years.

 


Lynnsey Roberts is the 15-year-old daughter of Randy Roberts of Bellevue. She will be a sophomore at Hailey’s Wood River High School.

Lynnsey first started riding at age two on her black pony "Tiny." When she was six, Lynnsey and Smokey entered their first rodeo.

At 12, Lynnsey entered her first horse show and successfully competed in English and Western. She is active in high school rodeo in barrels.

 

 


Junior Queen contestants


Jentry Perkins of Hailey is the 12-year-old daughter of Shelley and Keith Booker and Kip Perkins. She will be a seventh-grade student at Wood River Middle School this fall.

Jentry began riding her Appaloosa gelding "Pete" when she was two. "Pete" retired this past year, so Jentry is now riding her new five-year-old gelding "Breeze."

In May, Jentry had the opportunity to represent Blaine County as its princess in the Miss Junior Rodeo Idaho pageant. She placed first runner-up in the state contest.

Jentry, a member of the Sawtooth Rangers Riding Club, would like to extend a special thanks to her coach, John Uhrig, and also invite everyone to the Days of the Old West rodeo!

 


Hayley Hinojosa, 11, lives in Bellevue on a ranch with her parents Mike and Cindy Hinojosa. She will be attending sixth grade at Wood River Middle School this fall.

This is Hayley’s second year as a Hailey contestant. She was third runner-up in the 2000 event.

Her hobbies include horseback riding, motocross and soccer. Recently, Hayley completed The Pat Wyse Horsemanship Clinic at The Lucky 13 Arena.

She will be riding her Appaloosa horse Annie in the Hailey arena.

 

 


Kali Jo Hess is the daughter of Michael and Sheree Hess of American Falls.

She will be an eighth-grade student at William Thomas Middle School, where she is actively involved in basketball, volleyball, soccer, track and honor society.

Kali’s other interests include 4-H (horse, beef and swine), piano, snowboarding and of course queen contests.

 


The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.