Last year’s Miss Days of the Old West queen Mickenlie Baxter of Hansen returns to Hailey this weekend to finish her reign as the Intermountain Professional Rodeo Association (ImPRA) Finals Senior Queen.
Baxter leads last year’s royalty who are welcoming a group of six girls and young women who will ride their horses and show their skills at the 2014 ImPRA Finals Rodeo sponsored by the Sawtooth Rangers Riding Club at Hailey Rodeo Arena.
Contest organizer Michelle Bobbitt of the Sawtooth Rangers thanked this year’s judges. They are Angela Cameron of Hailey, Vicki Baxter of Hansen and ImPRA board chairman Reed Larsen of Pocatello.
Here’s the schedule:
· Friday, Aug. 29: Horsemanship competition 10 a.m. at Hailey Rodeo Arena (contestants arrive 9 a.m.) preceded by a speech in front of the judges on the topic: “What is special and unique about the rodeo you represent?”
· Saturday, Aug. 30: The royalty helps with the Wagon Days Papoose Club Pancake Breakfast in Ketchum at 9 a.m. and rides in the Big Hitch Wagon Days Parade at 1 p.m. The Intermountain Professional Rodeo Association (ImPRA) rodeo starts at 6 p.m. at Hailey Rodeo Arena.
· Sunday, Aug. 31: The royalty candidates have their coronation at 1 p.m. as part of the pre-rodeo entertainment. The rodeo begins at 2 p.m. with the Grand Entry and playing of the national anthem.
Reigning Royalty
2013 ImPRA Finals Senior Queen
· Mickenlie Baxter, 20, is the daughter of LeRoy and Vicki Baxter of Hansen. A junior at the University of Montana Western in Dillon, Mickenlie is studying to become a veterinarian with a specialty in Equine.
Mickenlie was the Teen Queen at Hailey’s rodeo in 2012 and the Days of the Old West Senior Queen in 2013. She said, “I’ve had the privilege of representing the ImPRA for the past year. I’ve had a great time. It’s given me the opportunity to work on my horsemanship and make new friendships. I’ve created memories that will last a lifetime.”
2013 ImPRA Finals Teen Queen
· Zoie Pierce, 14, is a daughter of Jim and Karen Pierce of Jerome. She was the 2013 Teen Queen of Miss Days of the Old West. She was also a horsemanship winner in Hailey in 2011.
She said, “I represented ImPRA at the Gooding and Jerome County Fair and Rodeos, and best of all, at Hailey Days of the Old West. I am so honored to be part of this great sport of rodeo. None of this would be possible without the great support of my family.”
2013 ImPRA Finals Junior Queen
· Emma Flolo, 14, is a daughter of Jack and Julie Flolo of Hailey. She is a ninth-grade student at Wood River High School. In July, Emma won the Miss Days of the Old West Junior Queen title. Emma is a sixth-year member of the Hailey Wild Riders 4-H Club. She also competes in horse events at the Blaine County Fair in Carey. This is her third year of raising and showing pigs at the fair.
Emma likes being part of her school choir and running cross country. She enjoys playing Wood River and Storm basketball. She said, “It’s been a great year representing ImPRA as Junior Queen and I have so many people to thank.”
2013 ImPRA Finals PeeWee Queen
· Brilee Hirschi, 9, of St. Anthony in eastern Idaho is a daughter of Taelon and Melissa Hirschi. She is entering the fourth grade at Parker-Egin Elementary School. Brilee was the 2013 Miss Days of the Old West PeeWee Queen and carried her Hailey title to the IMPRA Finals where she was crowned PeeWee Queen. She said, “To Michelle, Vivian and Bill Bobbitt and the ImPRA, thank you for making this such a great contest and experience for a beginner like me!”
2014 ImPRA Finals contestants
Senior Queen contestants
· Kelli Lyn Ball, 16, is a daughter of Layne and Tamie Ball of Rexburg. She will be a junior at Sugar-Salem High School where she is active in Future Farmers of America, Business Professionals of America, Technology Student Association, Academic Decathlon and the National Honor Society. Among her goals is competing at the National High School Rodeo Finals and running for Miss Rodeo Idaho.
Kelli is the reigning Days of the Old West Senior Queen. She won a saddle for her overall high-point victory. She added a saddle blanket for winning Horsemanship in Senior Queen.
· Max McCammon, 20, of Rupert is a daughter of Pat McCammon and Liz Stewart. She is a full-time student at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls, majoring in Equine Business. She is the 2015 Oakley Pioneer Days queen. Her passion is rodeo and training horses. She competes in breakaway roping, barrel racing and team roping (heading and heeling).
Teen Queen contestants
· Cara Malone, 16, is a daughter of Ron and Kay Malone. She will be a junior at Jerome High School, where she is president of the rodeo team. Cara is a member of the FFA agricultural education chapter along with being secretary of her 4-H Club and 4-H District 3 Horse Council. She said she is honored to be the 2014 Days of the Old West Teen Queen. She was Freestyle Horsemanship winner, and she swept the Poise and Personality, Photogenics, Speech and Horsemanship categories.
· Emma Flolo, 14, is a daughter of Jack and Julie Flolo of Hailey. In winning the Miss Days of the Old West Junior Queen title in July, she also won Poise and Personality, Photogenics and Horsemanship in her class. She said, “Good luck to all the girls competing for a crown this year.”
· Karessa Love, 17, is a daughter of Blake and Leigh Anne Love from Malad City. She is a senior at Idaho Virtual Academy and is serving as Senior Queen of Oneida County. She competes in high school rodeo (barrels, poles, goat tying), and enjoys camping, 4-wheeling and cake decorating. Karessa has been a teen leader for three years at Alpine 4-H Camp in Wyoming, and has shown sheep at the county fair since she was 10.
PeeWee Queen contestant
· Kacie Anne Flolo, 9, is a daughter of Jack and Julie Flolo of Hailey. The fourth grader at Hailey Elementary School is the reigning Miss Days of the Old West PeeWee Queen. She won Poise and Personality, Speech and Horsemanship contests.
Kacie is a second-year member of the Hailey Wild Riders 4-H Club. She loves learning to ride and showing pigs at the Blaine County Fair. Kacie loves drama camp, running track and playing basketball.
Emma Flolo
