It was great to be back in Billings for the NILE Rodeo this year. Just this time last year, I remember coming to the MRM Clinic and learning what really goes into the state pageant. It was fun to meet other title holders from all over the state, and to share stories about our years. I had no idea that I would have the chance to come back as royalty once again.

            After a blustery, cold, and snowy drive home from Billings, I was back on the road again. Thankfully for this trip, the weather was great. Once I got back into Billings I was off to the first of four nights of action packed rodeo. The stock brought by the Sankeys was great as always, and it was great to see their pickup men J2 and Bobby. The grand entry every night was top notch, and even included fireworks.

            Friday and Saturday were the days of the clinic which included everything from makeup to rodeo lingo to horsemanship. And I was impressed with how many participants we got this year, including 3 of the Miss Rodeo/ Miss Teen Rodeo Montana Contestants. The pressure was definitely on with the pageant just around the corner. I had fun and learned a lot while sitting in on the modeling and listening to Kate recite her awesome speech. Later that day I also got the chance to sign autographs at Big R with a couple of the cowboys and the barrel man.

            The clinic participants also got the chance to attend the rodeo during the clinic and help out with the Mutton Busting. As they signed up and waited for the names of the riders to be drawn, you could see the excitement on the kids’ faces. And when it was time for the big event they were suited up in a vest and a helmet, placed onto the back of “rank” sheep, and told to hold on. Half of the kids would beam with pride after brushing off the dirt after their ride, but the other half didn’t think it was all that great. But in the end they would all get a prize and a t-shirt, and the winner got a buckle.

            After my cold and snowy adventures back and forth from Billings, I was glad to be back home.

            Until next time, I wish you all the best!

God Bless,

Jennifer Marshall

MTRM 2008

This was the first time that I had ever been to the Kalispell fairgrounds, but it reminded me of Missoula and Hamilton with the way everything was planned out, so I felt right at home. When I first arrived, all was well. That was until I couldn’t find my horse or its owner. Then I ran into the first Miss Teen Rodeo Montana for 2006, Kaitlyn Tracy. She immediately hooked me up with all of the right people and got me back on track. My horse was a huge palomino with an easy going personality. My next problem was getting a saddle. Thankfully, I ran into an old friend from Missoula who recently moved to Kalispell. He and a few of his buddies came to watch the rodeo that night, but I recruited them to help me find a saddle. It turned out that my friend lived right down the road and he had a saddle in his room. So they ran off to get the saddle for me while I waited nervously. When they finally got back, I had just enough time to throw the saddle on and do a couple circles on the track to warm up my trusty steed. For my queen buzz, my trusty steed got pretty nervous and we didn’t move much faster than a trot. It turns out that he really needed a couple circles in the arena with all of the scary flags before doing a buzz. As I carried the Montana flag into the arena, he spooked and didn’t quite get why he had to go in the arena. But we worked it out, even with my horse on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

After grand entry, I finally got the chance to meet the Kalispell Royalty. Miss Rodeo Northwest Montana Elise Anderson, Princess Sidney Meyer, and Little Miss Trinity Williams. They were all very fun and welcoming from the get go; little did I know it would lead to the most fun and interesting rodeo weekend this year!

The next day, Elise and her family invited me to spend the day at their place on the lake. We had a blast canoeing and then getting our arms practically ripped off going tubing. My arms felt like noodles even after a quick ride! But I couldn’t resist going for another. After that, it was a relaxing cruise around the lake, which was good for my white legs!

Have you ever had anyone ask you a question in a way that makes you think they’re up to something? This was definitely one of those times when Trinity and Elise asked me what I was doing the next day before the rodeo. I wasn’t going to be doing anything, so I said so and they both got huge smiles on their faces. And that was how I got myself into a round of pig wrestling! It was the rodeo queens vs. the pig in a pen of slop, mud, and water. And the idea was to catch the pig as fast as possible, and put him tail end first into a plastic barrel that had been cut in half. (Just to let you know how slippery it was, I almost fell flat on my face with the first step I took into the pen!) But we were all ready for it in our pink t-shirts and pig tails when the whistle blew, and we tackled the pig like old pros! We had a game plan that Trinity and I would grab his belly, Elise would get his head, and Sidney would grab his tail end. When we finally caught the pig, he squealed like crazy and was squirming all over the place. But we still managed to put him into the barrel in under 40 seconds! And by the time we got out of there, we were a sloppy mess from head to toe! From there we were off to hit the shower and clean up a little before the rodeo. Unfortunately, we didn’t have as much time as we would have liked so it was in and out as quick as possible.

At the rodeo that night, I was honored to carry Old Glory, and my big palomino seemed to like it too. Half way through the program were two events that were completely new to me, the Wild Pony Riding and the Indian Relay Race. The wild pony riding was when a team of kids had to catch a wild pony coming out of the chute, then two would mug it and the third would hop on for a wild ride for as long as possible. And after that was the Indian Relay Race, which I think is even better than traditional racing! This was when a team of 2 or 3 people brought out three horses to the track without ANY tack except for a bridle. Then the rider would hop on the first horse bareback, and wait for the whistle to blow. Then the 7 to 9 horse and rider pairs would make one lap around the track. When they made it back to the start line, where the other team members were standing with the second and third horse, they would jump off horse number one and swing onto horse number two. The process repeated one last time as the riders would switch for horse two to horse three to make the final lap. And remember that all of these horses have on only a bridle or halter! It was fun and action packed, and I can’t wait to go back next year.

Until next time, I wish you all the best!

God Bless,

Jennifer Marshall

MTRM 2008

First on the agenda was horsemanship, and all of the girls looked fabulous. I think there were a total of 10 girls competing for three different age categories. Unfortunately, no one applied for the queen title. But that meant the 2008 Miss Missoula Stampede Princess would be the lucky duck who got to wear the NEW chaps and crown! Since the title of the rodeo changed from Western Montana to Missoula Stampede, it was time to get a new pair of perpetual chaps. None of the girls knew this yet though, and they were all concentrating hard on their upcoming horsemanship patterns.

I didn’t get too much time to get to know all of the girls, but I did know a few from summers past. Jennika O’Neil, who was competing for the princess title, and I got pretty close over the summer since we attended a ton of rodeos together. She was Little Miss Big Sky Pro Rodeo. Another familiar face was Sari McCollum, who I knew from competing in the Bitterroot Gymkhana Club. I almost didn’t recognize her with all of the beautiful clothes and the makeup. But she was riding was riding her same little rodeo pony, Oreo. And a family who I know very well was also there supporting their youngest daughter, Elizabeth. The Roberts family attended cowboy church with me, and their daughters were also in the gymkhana club. AND their other daughter Callie holds the 2008 Jr. Miss Rodeo Ravalli County title. It felt great to see all of their familiar faces.

One other very impressive group of girls was the reining Western Montana Royalty; Lesli Furniss, Hannah Burlingham, and Reagan Tracy. They all have made such an impression on me with their big hearts. And besides that, they’re all a blast to hang out with and talk to. I feel honored to know these wonderful ladies, and I can’t wait to see them again. (Hopefully at the state pageant!!)

That night at the rodeo, I got to ride one of the best, and most well-known, horses around. His name is Cecil, and he’s the biggest teddy bear of a horse I have ever ridden. That is until you put him around some cows or ask him to do a queen buzz. He may be old, but his age didn’t show once. Thank you so much to Laura Bakker for letting me use him for the entire fair.

The next morning was speeches. I shivered at the thought of it, but was incredibly thankful that I wasn’t the one up on stage! I couldn’t believe how creative these young women were with the rhyming and the clever touches. One speech I thought was especially clever and very cute was about the point of view of a pair of boots. After the speeches came the modeling, and I had no clue what I was doing once again. So I just hopped into the line and pretended to know what I was doing. It all went well, and I had a little fun too. And last on the list for the morning were the ever intimidating impromptu questions. All the girls did an awesome job and didn’t falter once. But you could see the relief on their faces when it was all over.

 It was great to hear the familiar voice of Will Rasmussen come over the speakers when I entered the arena for the second night. And I loved watching all of the other girls make their buzz in the arena, seeing their pure excitement. But as I entered the arena I realized I had forgotten one very important piece to my rodeo wardrobe… bobby pins! This may not seem like a big deal to anyone who hasn’t been around a rodeo queen, but to us, its bad news. Within the first 10 feet of the arena my hat started to lift off. So I had no choice but to wave for a few seconds and then cram my hat back down onto my head. I did this for the entire lap around the arena. I felt pretty embarrassed and silly when I came out, but I’m glad it wasn’t something worse.

This night was also the BIG night of coronation! All of the girls rode out into the arena with huge smiles on their faces and their best outfit on. I couldn’t help but feel for them because we all know how nerve wracking it is to be out in front of a crowd waiting for the announcement. Congratulations to your 2008 Miss Missoula Stampede Princess… Samantha Manley! Also to the Little Miss Sarai McCollum and Elizabeth Roberts, the Junior Little Miss. Congratulations to all of you, I know you girls will have an awesome time this year!

After my hat “trauma” the night of rodeo went very well, and I even got the chance afterwards to grab some greasy fair food.

Until next time, I wish you all the best!

God Bless,

Jennifer Marshall

MTRM 2008

The next afternoon, first thing Audrey said to as we walked up to the building where the trappers set up was, “Don’t walk by the scent table unless you have your nose plugged or you’ll regret it.” I knew exactly what she was talking about as soon as we got inside. If you have ever been into a taxidermy shop, you know that smell all of them have. It was kind of similar to that, except sour. But after being in there all day, I didn’t even notice it.

I had no idea what I was getting myself in to when I answered yes to the question “Are you doing the trap setting contest?!” at the annual MT Fur Trappers Rendezvous. As I stood infront of 5 pretty mean looking traps, I couldn’t figure out what was up and what was down! Thankfully, one of the professionals came over and showed me exactly what I needed to do. He even showed me the difference between the safe way and the quick way… I was definitely going for the safe route since I wanted to keep my fingers. The idea of the game was to set all of the traps as quickly as possible, without any of them going off.

First, we all watched the kids groups, and then it was time for the ladies. When it was finally my turn I was a little nervous, but I managed to do it in less than one minute! The time didn’t quite win it but I did end up 3^rd, so I was happy! (Don’t let anyone know that there were only 3 competitors though!!) After the ladies went, it was time for the men’s group. I thought we had hard traps to set until I watched them! Some of them couldn’t even set all of them!

After that it was time to do the skillet toss, which is an all ladies event. All you had to do was throw a cast iron skillet as far as you could. The only rule of this game was that your spouse wasn’t allowed to stand at the other end of the field! Audrey was up first, but she didn’t quite set a high bar… The skillet ended up finding a tree instead of flying down the grass. I was up next, and I didn’t do too much better. I think I threw it about 40 feet. The girl who won threw it almost 80 feet! So needless to say, I didn’t do as well as I had hoped, but I’ll be back next year!

            I couldn’t wait for dinner time because my stomach had been growling for quite a while. It was a tasty roast and mashed potatoes with some seriously delicious dessert. And after eating a huge plate, I felt like it was time for a nap. However, I was more than happy to get up to model some GEORGEOUS coats and vests from Paparazzi Furs There aren’t too many other things that I would rather be doing than modeling furs! Also modeling was Audrey, Kate, and Jessi.  As the show went on, we each took turns walking down the “runway”, doing turns and posing. It was great practice for Jessi, who is going to compete for the MTRM title this year.

            Until next time, I wish you all the best!

God Bless,

Jennifer Marshall

MTRM 2008

            Then it was time to get ready for the rodeo, so I headed over to the 4-H barn where my horse was staying. When I went inside to get him out of his stall, I couldn’t believe how HUGE this horse was! He had to be part warm blood or draft or something… because he had a three foot wide chest and he was close to 17 hands tall!!! Talk about a long shot to get the saddle on. And I was dreading having to get on him without the assistance of a ladder or fence! But for being such a giant, he was a total teddy bear. The only problem we had was going into the arena for the first time. I didn’t get the chance to warm him up in the arena, so he thought the signs, chutes, and everything else were bogey men. But he got over it and grand entry still went well. . It was great to see Samantha Manley, Miss Missoula Stampede Princess at the fair that night too. Her whole family came up with their horses and dogs and we had a good time talking and relaxing in their trailer. My horse’s owner, Jessica, was also riding that night in a drill team. Unfortunately, after grand entry was over Jessica’s horse reared up and fell over backwards on her, slamming her into a truck. Thankfully, she got right back up and wasn’t hurt at all. The truck on the other hand didn’t fare so well and ended up with a few dents.

            One thing that I don’t do that often is act as a barrel woman picking up barrels, especially when I’m in rodeo queen attire. But the dodge truck guys wanted some help and Sam and I were more than happy to jump in the back. And when we got out into the arena, we pushed the barrels off the tailgate to one of the judges who would then set them up. When it was time to pick the barrels up again, the guys who were supposed to throw the barrels up were nowhere to be found. So I jumped out, grabbed the barrel, and threw it into the bed without thinking twice. My mom on the other hand decided that it was hilarious to see me throwing barrels all dressed up! Even Laura Bakker, MRM President saw the pictures. Now I will never be able to forget that!

            Bright and early the next morning, I drove the half hour from our hotel in Thompson Falls to Plains for the parade. Night two of the rodeo was just as fun, and Sam and I once again walked around the grounds signing autographs. That night I switched to one of Sam’s horses named Billy. He’s a trained team penner, so I had way too much fun pushing cows.  

            The following morning was the PBR where I just did the grand entry. After that I got the chance to just sit and enjoy the rodeo. One thing I wont ever forget is the clown. HE dressed up as a woman in short orange shorts and a way too tight hooters tank top! (He even filled out the tank top with some stuffing if you know what I mean!!) Then he/she proceeded to run around the stands sitting on laps and doing some very interesting dances… I don’t think I ever have or hopefully ever will see a man dance like that again! But he did his job because everyone was rolling on the floor laughing!

            Until next time, I wish you all the best!

God Bless,

Jennifer Marshall

MTRM 2008

            On the way to the parade on Wednesday morning, it felt odd to be towing a trailer. And when I hopped into my old comfy trophy saddle, I definitely knew I was at home. After making my way up to the horse section of the parade, it was great to be able to catch up with all of the girls on how their summer had gone. The queens attending were Ciara Zacha (Miss Rodeo Ravalli County) and Callie Roberts (Jr. Miss Rodeo Ravalli County).

            One thing that really made this whole fair special was the people that I hadn’t seen all summer long. I couldn’t even get a few feet down the parade route without seeing a friend or a family member. And when I walked around the grounds I ended up doing more standing and talking than anything. And that feeling of comfort, familiarity, and family was indescribable.

            This was the first NRA rodeo I had been to since the finals in February, and it’s a different feel of rodeo compared to the PRCA. But nonetheless, it was a great show and I still saw quite a few competitors that I knew. And for the grand entry, I was honored to carry the American flag along side Ciara.

            My hometown fair and rodeo is one that I will never forget, and the chance to come back as MTRM was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

But enough about how beautiful the town was, lets talk about the lovely young ladies who were competing to represent it. There were three young ladies vying for the title of Miss Kootenai River Rodeo. However, none of them knew that I would be attending that night, or that I would be the one crowning the winner! So as show time rolled around, I stayed towards the back of all of the commotion and waited to hear my name. And when I did, the girls had no idea what was going on. After a buzz lap, I hopped off and helped present awards. And finally it was time to hear who had won… your new Miss Kootenai River Rodeo is Cassidy Hand! (Does that name sound familiar to anyone else??? I thought so too..J If you can’t figure out why it does sound so familiar, it’s because Miss Rodeo Montana 2006 was Cassidy HAN without a D) Congratulations to her and I hope she has an awesome year. During the rodeo, I finally got the chance to talk with the girls and get to know them all a little better. I would have hated to be a judge, because they were all sweethearts!

The next morning I met up with all of the girls and their moms for an impromptu clinic. I talked to them about my year and what it takes to be a state titleholder. Then we did some questions and answers and a little trivia. I really enjoyed being able to talk to them all one on one, and I learned a lot too.

The rodeo that evening was just as fun as the last. And I got to ride one of my favorite horses, “Sorrel.” I also rode “Sorrel” in Polson, and even though I ask his real name every time, I can never remember it! So for me, Sorrel works just fine. Thank you so much to RT Hendrickson for letting me use him for the two nights of rodeo. He’s a great horse and he’s a blast to ride.

After two blistering hot days of rodeo and “queeing” fun, I was ready to head back to the Bitterroot and rest up a little before the State Fair.

            Until next time, I wish you all the best!

God Bless,

Jennifer Marshall

MTRM 2008

WHEN:    October 16th and 17th  

WHERE:   Rimview Inn—Billings, Montana

**a block of rooms has been reserved

COST:      $125 for participants; $50 for parents

**covers the cost of books, lunch, presenters)

TIMES:    9:00am to 6:00pm

SCHEDULE

Thursday~

               9-10:45am       INTRODUCTIONS & IMPROMPTUS

                                           **juice and muffins will be served

               11:30-1:00pm   HORSEMANSHIP

                                           **Intermountain Equestrian Center

               1:30-2:30pm    LUNCH—provided

               2:30pm            TRIVIA BOWL

               3:00pm            MAKE-UP/COLORS

                                          **by Mary Kay consultant

               5:30pm            BEHIND THE CHUTES TOUR

                                             **NILE Rodeo/METRA

               7:30pm            NILE RODEO

                                             **dinner on your own

Friday~  

             9-10:30am         REVIEW & SPEECHES

                                             **juice and muffins will be served

             10:30am           MODELING

             11:30am           HAIR/PHOTOGENICS

             12-1:00pm        LUNCH–provided

             1:00pm             INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

             2:30pm             STYLE SHOW WITH IMPROMPTUS

             3:30pm             QUESTION & ANSWER/TRIVIA BOWL

             4:30pm             KIDS AND COWBOYS

                                          **NILE Rodeo/METRA

             7:30pm             NILE RODEO

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

KATE RULAND—406-538-3177 or 406-861-0612

ROBIN BOTHUM-NANSEL—406-356-2461 or 406-201-0314

            After meeting with the Eagle 93 morning show host, Scott, I got to play a little horse swapping. At first I was going to ride a huge bay horse, but after talking with the pickup men I ended up riding a dun. The only thing about borrowing a horse that is brought to pickup is that you have to be able to get off quick when someone tells you to! I ended up switching to a barrel instead of a horse during one event when Sparky, the owner of Gold Buckle Rodeo Co., needed a horse.

            Unfortunately about ¾ of the way through the rodeo, I started to feel a little bit queasy. And after bull riding started, I couldn’t take the hot sun anymore. So I told my mom I wasn’t feeling well and let the other girls know that I just needed to sit in the A/C and drink some ice cold water. Thank goodness I didn’t get sick but I did sleep the whole way home.

            Until next time, I wish you all the best!

God Bless,

Jennifer Marshall

MTRM 2008

            After meeting my horse Mooney and his owner BJ, I took a few laps around the arena with the Weiferich girls and Kirsten Svennungsen. It was great to see the Weiferich family and their awesome bucking stock once again, and I couldn’t wait for the rodeo to begin! I had no idea that we would also be joined by Tiffany Sinclair (Miss Big Sky Pro Rodeo Princess), who I hadn’t had the chance to meet yet. And when I did, I found out that we are very similar!

            Grand entry went smooth and very quickly, and everything seemed to be just perfect. Then all of the sudden a terrible and freezing cold north wind came out of nowhere. The wind gusts had to have been at least 35 mph! Unfortunately, this cleared out the packed stands and sent us girls running for cover behind anything we could find. We eventually ended up behind the ambulance with one of the EMS who thankfully didn’t mind the company. After about 45 minutes of wind, it finally stopped just in time for the bull riding. Then I got the chance to take a look around the fair and see what kind of fried food I could devour since I had an early lunch. I of course had to have my fair comfort food, a greasy cheeseburger.

            The second night of rodeo went very well and thankfully without ANY wind! It was my honor that night to carry Old Glory, but my horse wasn’t to keen on standing still in the arena after doing a flying lap. So we did a little dance in the middle of the arena while the anthem played. And when it was over, he was more than happy to run out. Kirsten and Tiffany couldn’t make it to the second night of the rodeo so I recruited Tessa and Tasha Weiferich to help me clear the arena and boy can those girls ride! They did a great job as always and even gave me some inside info on the stock that was coming out for each ride.

            So after a good two full days of rodeo and fair fun, I headed back to the hotel to pack up once again. In the morning, I was off to the CM Russell Stampede in Stanford.

            Until next time, I wish you all the best!

God Bless,

Jennifer Marshall

MTRM 2008