Miss Days of the Old West royalty candidates and the reigning royalty will be wearing their best outfits and smiles during Hailey's Independence Day holiday celebration.
And who can blame them? They are the faces with the flair during the dusty Hailey's Days of the Old West rodeo. And each one loves the western lifestyle that the Hailey Old West rodeo embodies.
Rodeo royalty contestants work hard for their day in the sun during Hailey's Independence Day celebration. They brighten the holiday with style, horsemanship and beauty.
"Miss Days of the Old West" returns to Hailey Rodeo Arena this week where the 64th annual Days of the Old West rodeo will entertain thousands.
Eight girls and young women will be riding their horses and showing their skills in this year's queen contest.
Contest organizer Michelle Bobbitt of the Sawtooth Rangers Riding Club will be the first to say she has a good crew helping her. This year's judges include Angie Cameron, Krystal Lee, Debbie Lee, Jan Jorgensen, Janell Jackson and Jacobbi Snedden.
Contestants are: Two for Senior Queen, three for Teen Queen, two Junior Queen and one more for PeeWee Queen.
Here is the schedule:
Saturday, July 2: Poise and personality competition plus the interviews at 10 a.m. at Hailey Grange Hall. This year's speech topic is: "What does being a good sport mean to me?" Contestants will wear prairie skirts or Western dress, with their hats, boots and belts. They'll answer impromptu questions and be interviewed individually.
Freestyle horsemanship that is optional for PeeWee and Junior Queen contestants will be performed as pre-rodeo entertainment at 6:30 p.m. tonight prior to the first of three rodeo performances. The royalty will help with cattle, mingle with the public and cowboys and sign autographs at each 7:30 p.m. rodeo.
Sunday, July 3: Horsemanship competition at 10 a.m. at Hailey Rodeo Arena. Freestyle horsemanship that is optional for Senior Queen and Teen Queen contestants will be performed as pre-rodeo entertainment at 6:30 p.m. tonight prior to the first of three rodeo performances.
The Intermountain Professional Rodeo Association (ImPRA) and Idaho Cowboys Association rodeo starts at 7:30 p.m. For each rodeo, contestants will wear show apparel and are required to pack flags on their horses.
Monday, July 4: The royalty candidates will also wear their show apparel for the Mile Long Parade starting at 12 noon along Hailey's Main Street. They will help serve food and drinks at the post-parade barbecue and have their coronation at 6:30 p.m. as part of the pre-rodeo entertainment.
The Grand Entry and playing of the national anthem on the country's birthday will be a proud time for all.
Reigning royalty
2010 Hailey Senior Queen
Jayd Wartluft, 18, lives in Twin Falls with her mother and father LeeAnn and Trevor Tarter. She was the girls' varsity soccer captain for Canyon Ridge High School, where she graduated this past spring. She plans to attend the University of Great Falls/Montana to major in Pre-Med.
Jayd hopes to continue playing soccer and rodeoing at the collegiate level. Last year in Hailey, Jayd was Congeniality winner along with Photogenics, Poise and Personality, Speech and Horsemanship. Two years ago, she was second runner-up in Old West Teen Queen.
She said, "I can't even explain how much fun this last year has been! From representing Hailey at parades and rodeos, to making appearances at local functions, it has been a blast! I'd like to thank all the sponsors who had donated, my family for all they have supported me on, and a big thank you to the Sawtooth Rangers for all they do to make this rodeo happen."
2010 Hailey Teen Queen
Katey Martha Gutman, 16, of Salmon is the daughter of Loryhl and Jerry Davis, and Rick Gutman. The junior at Salmon High School is the reigning District 1 High School Rodeo Queen. In 2009 Katey won third runner-up in the Idaho High School Rodeo Association queen contest.
She is involved in FFA and has been in 4-H for nine years. Her previous titles include Challis Rodeo Princess and 2008 Salmon Stampede Rodeo Queen. She trains her own horses to do barrels and poles, and placed eighth in breakaway roping for her district high school rodeo.
Katey loves setting an example and supporting rodeo. She has said, "It's not the speed, it's the stride."
She loves to rope on her trusty horse, Tuf. Last year at Hailey, she was overall high-point winner and took home a saddle from the Sawtooth Rangers. She was also the freestyle horsemanship winner.
2010 Hailey Junior Queen
Hunter Rasmussen, 13, is the daughter of Todd and Vonnie Rasmussen of Hill City. She will attend eighth grade. Hunter has been Junior Princess of the Northside Showdown and was Miss Lil' Bit Rodeo Idaho for 2008-09.
Two years ago she was Days of the Old West Junior Queen first runner-up and speech winner. She loves the sport of rodeo and competes in barrels, poles and goat tying. Her favorite event is bullriding. Her horse Rocky is 25 years young and still going strong.
For the last two years Hunter has been an honor roll student. She loves volleyball and enjoys track and band. She thanks her parents for spending countless hours helping her achieve her goals. And Hunter gave a special shout-out to Michelle Bobbitt for being the best contest organizer in the world!
2010 Hailey PeeWee Queen
Bailey Grace Cole, 8, is a Hailey resident who will be a third grader at Hailey Elementary. She is the daughter of Erin Cole and Robert Cole of Boise. She loves rodeo and her horse Paco, but also enjoys skiing, swimming, camping, riding her bike and reading. Next year she plans on signing up for the Junior Queen contest.
2011 contestants
Senior Queen contestants
Katey Martha Gutman, 16, of Salmon is the daughter of Loryhl and Jerry Davis, and Rick Gutman and was last year's Days of the Old West Teen Queen. She enjoys hunting, hiking, fishing and horseback riding, but her main loves are music and rodeo.
Katey plays instruments ranging from the tuba to the piccolo. She sings, composes and writes music. She teaches and gives music lessons. In addition, she enjoys musical theater. She was Best Supporting Actress in her school's major musical production. She was voted Best Musician as a junior, and earned outstanding participation awards in Show Choir and Pep Band.
Lainey Owen, 17, is the daughter of Elliott and Christy Owen of Rupert. Lainey will be riding her quarter horse palomino named Pink. They've come a long way together in their journey and are thrilled to be running for Miss Days of the Old West.
Lainey loves reining and horse shows. She has been the rodeo princess for both Minidoka County and for Oakley Days. Last July, she was second runner-up for Miss Days of the Old West Teen Queen.
A junior at Minico High School in Rupert, she belongs to FFA, The Spanish Club, Leo Club and Young Republicans. She recently received her CNA degree and hopes to pursue a medical degree in Obstetrics.
Lainey has belonged to 4-H since she was nine years old, and last year received the overall Horseman of the Year prize for Minidoka County. Her other 4-H projects include Production Turkeys and Springer Dairy Heifers.
Teen Queen contestants
Breanna Olson, 15, is the daughter of Mark and Kim Olson of Salmon. No stranger to the arena, Bre has been involved with horses and rodeo since she was six years old. She is the reigning Miss Junior Rodeo Idaho and has enjoyed traveling the state.
Besides rodeo queening, Bre competes in barrel racing, pole bending, breakaway roping and goat tying. This year, she was the Reserve Rookie Girls' All-Around for District 1 high school rodeo. For 2011-12, she was chosen by her peers to serve as District 1 High School Rodeo Student Secretary.
An honor student, Bre was a member of the Salmon High School junior varsity cheerleading team as a freshman and was nominated to the All-American team.
She is a regular volunteer at Lemhi's After School Promise, where she helps mentor and tutor at-risk children. Bre loves the western lifestyle that living in a rural Idaho community provides and spends her free time riding 4-wheelers or horses in the mountains. She also enjoys hanging out with friends, training her two young horses and spending time with her family. For seven years she has been involved in 4-H. Currently she serves as a teen leader and Advanced Horsemanship assistant.
Kaylaa Gutman, 14, of Salmon is the daughter of Loryhl and Jerry Davis, and Rick Gutman. In the coming school year Kaylaa will be a freshman at Salmon High School.
This past year she was a 4.0 grade point average student. While in junior high school Kaylaa was a "Student of the Year," and a "Student of the Month," along with earning outstanding achievement awards in Science and English. She enjoyed playing on her school's basketball and track teams. Her 4x400-meter girls' relay team established a new school record.
Her passion remains rodeo because she can ride horses and sample the thrill of competition. She competes in goat tying, breakaway roping, team roping, barrels and poles. Last July she won first runner-up of the Miss Days of the Old West Junior Queen contest. Kaylaa is an advocate of the western way of life because it teaches the importance of family, hard work and perseverance.
Horses hold a special place in her life. She has helped rehabilitate and retrain many different types of competitive horses. She volunteers at Whitewater Therapeutic Riding in Salmon. Involved in 4-H for seven years, Kaylaa was State 4-H Show Jumping champion in 2009. She has held the titles of Northside Showdown Junior Princess in 2006 and Miss Lil' Bit Rodeo in 2008.
Gabrielle McMurphy, 13, of Ammon is the daughter of Kenny and Julie McMurphy. An avid reader, she placed in the range of "Advanced Proficiency" in all four subjects on her recent ISAT test. She enjoys playing soccer for Sand Creek Middle School and joined the school's track team this spring, running the 100-meter dash, 4x100m relay and medley relay.
For the last three years she has competed in Horse Judging and Horse Bowl, taking second place at Idaho State Horse Judging at Boise in 2009. Gabrielle likes working with animals. She rescued an Australian Shepherd Cross named Toby from her local animal shelter and worked hard training her dog with her 4-H group. She was able to capture Junior Grand Champion for Showmanship two years in a row at Eastern Idaho State Fair.
With her barrel horse Sadie, she earned top ratings for Western Equitation and Showmanship. Most recently Gabrielle won the title of Jefferson County Stampede Princess. This year she plans on running for the state title of Junior Rodeo Idaho. She has been looking forward to Miss Days of the Old West and wishes all her fellow contestants the best.
Junior Queen contestants
Zoie Pierce, 12, of Jerome, has participated in the Miss Days of the Old West Junior Queen contest for the last three years including a first runner-up finish in the 2008 event. She is the daughter of Jim and Karen Pierce.
She enjoys riding her horse Skoshie on trail rides, and in horse shows and rodeos. She likes packing flags and meeting new friends at rodeo. Zoie loves to run barrels, poles and goat tying at junior rodeos. She played on a traveling volleyball team last winter. Zoie has been showing horses since age three. This is her fourth year in 4-H. Her brother Yogi and twin sister Kloie are special to her.
Emma Elaine Flolo, 10, is the daughter of Jack and Julie Flolo of Hailey. She is a sixth grader at Wood River Middle School. As a member of the Hailey Wild Riders 4-H Club, she participated in the Blaine County Fair and won first place in Showmanship and took Top of Class for her Record Book.
Last year Emma got her first horse, Molly. Molly was a rescue horse and nourishing her back to health was an amazing experience for Emma and her family. She also enjoyed being editor of her class newspaper last year. Emma is a member of the Wood River Volleyball Club and Girls on the Run.
PeeWee Queen contestant
Micah McMurphy, 6, of Ammon is the daughter of Kenny and Julie McMurphy. She simply adores her mother and is the youngest of four children. She attends Monticello Montessori School where she will enter the second grade. Micah plays the violin and her favorite song to play is "Our God is an Awesome God."
She loves to wear pretty dresses and play dress-up with her friends. Her favorite thing is to ride her caramel and vanilla colored pony named Apple Pie. Micah and Apple like to swim together in the creek and ride in the sand dunes. She is excited to be part of Miss Days of the Old West and would like everybody to make some noise.
