It has been a few months since I have updated you all on what I have been up to. After a few weeks at home from Florida and Arizona, I found myself making my way to Oklahoma City to meet up with Miss Rodeo Oklahoma, Lauren Heaton. From there, we drove the rest of the way to Dallas, TX for the Miss Rodeo America Pageant Seminar. It was such a blessing to be able to attend this clinic early in the year to be able to make a plan as I prepare for the Miss Rodeo America Pageant in December. I highly recommend this clinic to ANY level of rodeo queen that is 17+. It was an extremely beneficial week; from being able to attend the Dallas Market Center fashion shows and getting great ideas for my wardrobe, to lectures from extremely high qualified clinicians such as past Miss Rodeo Americas and judges, World Champion cowboy Stran Smith, a horsemanship clinic with the world famous Chris Cox and many more. Thank you to the Miss Rodeo America Organization for putting together such an awesome clinic.

After the clinic I made my way back down to Oklahoma City, this time for the Ram National Circuit Finals! It was the first time the RNCFR was held at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, so that was special to be a part of. The Oklahoma Board was so kind and provided us girls with so many fun activities and an endless supply of cookies! One of the activities that we participated in was the Shootout held at the OKC Gun Club. We were divided into teams (two cowboys and two cowgirls) and shot trap to see which team was the best. I ended up shooting 17 out of 20 clays at four different stations…my daddy sure was proud! I was excited to cheer the Prairie Circuit onto victory with fellow Circuit States of Nebraska and Oklahoma. Thank you the Melissa Heaton and the entire Oklahoma Board for having us in OKC and to Bronc Rumford for providing the horses for us to ride.

The rest of April brought a few photo-shoots that I am really excited about. For the first one, I worked with the team from the Outdoor Trails Network: The Revolution with Jim and Trav. This group puts out a hunting guide every fall and I was asked to be on the cover! Keep an eye out for The Revolution’s official “Girls with Guns” hunting guide this fall. The second photo-shoot was with the talented Doyle and Sarah Saddler. We made our way South of Oakley, KS to “Monument Rock”. I have shared a few of the awesome shots we took on my Facebook page for you all to check out!

It seemed like April had just started when it was replaced with an even busier May! The first weekend of May took me south once again for Guymon Pioneer Days in Guymon, OK. This rodeo was a blast with many of my fellow state queens and beautiful weather! Seven of the state queens were fortunate enough to have Ken and Sherri Stonesipher as our host family. They, however, thought it would be better for them to take their trailer to the rodeo grounds and let us have the house to ourselves for the weekend. Probably not a bad move on their part! J  A BIG thank you to Becky Robinson for organizing the trip and to Carr Pro Rodeo for providing the beautiful Palomino horses for us to ride during the rodeo! Guymon was definitely a trip to remember!

The next trip I took was one I had been looking forward to since January. During my official Coronation and Fundraiser back at the beginning of the year, my sister and I put together “A Cowgirl Birthday Party” basket that was auctioned off with a promised appearance from me as Miss Rodeo Kansas. One of my many nieces was so excited about the item that she begged and begged for her parents to bid on it. They, however, were not too sure on the whole deal, so she went to plan B, my father. He, being a sucker for his granddaughters, bought the item for her. She was so excited about her upcoming birthday party that she slept with the basket for the next few nights! So needless to say, I was excited to travel to Kearney, NE to spend her 6th birthday with her and her friends.

Abbyville, KS was next on the map! I had heard so many wonderful stories about Abbyville from past girls, but it was 10x better than I could have imagined! I was thrilled to have a few of the state queens (Il, AR, ND, SD, and OK) in my home state for a change and enjoyed spending some time with them. We all stayed at the beautiful Oasis Ranch and Retreat Center in Abbyville and I recommend it to any family wanting to get away from the stresses of life and have a fun weekend! Bronc and Kate Rumford were a blast to work with and always made sure we had our fill of homemade pie!  This trip was a perfect end to my school year and start to a memorable summer!

My next weekend was a busy one full of big milestones for some great rodeos. First, I made my way to one of my favorite rodeos in Greensburg, KS for the 50th Anniversary of the Triangle Rodeo Club’s KPRA Rodeo. Greensburg was leveled by a tornado a few years ago and it has been a true eye opening experience to watch that town rebuild into what it is today. I watched some great girls compete for the queen and princess titles and even had a little rodeo of my own on my queens run during the Friday night performance. Even though “Bones” was feeling a bit broncy, I still thank Mike Greenleaf for the ride. After the parade on Saturday morning I hit the road running and made my way to Wallace, KS for the 60th Fort Wallace KPRA Rodeo. I was honored to be a part of this small town’s “60 Years of Thrills and Spills” event and thank them for their hospitality. I send a sincere congratulation to these rodeo committees for reaching these special milestones. Here’s to 50 and 60 more years of the greatest show on dirt!

My most recent trip was to Garden City, KS for the Beef Empire Days Rodeo. I was fortunate enough to be able to represent Beef Empire Days as their queen in 2012 and had a great time returning to my Garden City family. The BED Rodeo Committee and Pageant Committee lost a dear member, John Garcia “Wild Mex”, this past year and I was asked to present a plaque to his family during the luncheon of the pageant. John was a dear friend of mine and I was blessed to know him for the short time that I did and I was honored to share that special moment with his family. Thank you to Wally Garcia and Sharon Wormington for another fun weekend of rodeo and congratulations to your new BED Queen, Hannah Neuenschwander and Princess, Kassie Pechenec! You girls will have an amazing year. The rodeo brought in the best of the best and we were even blessed to have rain on both Friday and Saturday nights of the rodeo! Nothing like a few tornado warnings and downpours to get the crowd excited!

And that’s a wrap...for now! I am now preparing for my big summer run and am looking forward to all of the awesome opportunities coming my way. I cannot begin to grasp that this year is half way over. Thank you to all of my sponsors including: The Dodge City Round-Up, Kansas Fur Harvesters, Crop Production Services, Reed Equine Dentistry and so many more for your support in making this all possible. Follow me on Facebook to stay up to date and see all of my pictures from my trips.

Be blessed and have a wonderful Summer!
~ Katera

What an incredible last few months I have had! I feel like a seasoned world traveler with all of the places I have been to and opportunities I have had in January and February. From one end of the state to the other and one end of the country to the other I have had a wonderful start to my year as Miss Rodeo Kansas.

My first official trip out as Miss Rodeo Kansas was in Denver, CO for the Western and English Sales Association’s Market with MRK board members and my sister, Lori. Thankfully I had some seasoned shoppers there with me! I met with many amazing businesses and people who make up the industry that I love. I was fortunate to visit with many continued sponsors of MRK and even made a few more! I am looking forward to showcasing these sponsors throughout my year. Thank you to American West, Cripple Creek, Dan Post Boots, EquiBrand, Jerry Beagley Braiding Co., K bar J Leather Co., Lane Boot Co., Montana Silversmiths, Old Gringo, Weaver Leather, West & Co., and many, many more.

After Market, I hurried back to Kansas to finish the final details for my official Boots & Bling Crowning Coronation and Fundraiser the following weekend. I am still completely blown away by the amount of support my family, friends, and community gave me that evening. With over 300 in attendance, great food, outstanding auction items, and a rockin’ DJ I could not have had a more perfect evening. Thank you to EVERYONE who many that evening possible including the MRK Board, my family, Holy Family Circle, American Legion, auction item donors, visiting royalty, and anyone who volunteered their time that day! I love you all!

Following my Coronation, I made a second trip to Denver; this time for the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo! I have always enjoyed watching this rodeo from the crowd and knew that it would be a must for my year as MRK. While in Denver, I enjoyed watching the selection of the grand and reserve market steer and watching the Champions Sale. Those kids work so hard for the honor of selling in that sale and it was pretty amazing to see the joy it brought them to succeed the way they did.

The National Western Rodeo was everything I hoped it to be and so much more. It was such a trill to have this as my first rodeo as Miss Rodeo Kansas. Riding the beautiful black Cervi horses was a great experience and I thank them for the opportunity they allowed for all of us queens. I enjoyed getting to know Miss Rodeo America, Paige Nicholson, and a few of the other state queens as well.

As January came to a close, I found myself looking at a very busy February. I started it off right with a weekend traveling across my beautiful state.

My first stop was an exciting one and one I have been looking forward to making. After driving over six hours I found myself in Humbolt, KS; home of B&W Trailer Hitches. While B&W graciously installed their signature Turnover Ball, I toured the factory and saw first-hand what “Made in America” means. B&W is native to our state and provides over 300 jobs in Southeast KS. I am so humbled to represent this company and everything they stand for as I travel this year.

As I left the B&W factory, I made a spur of the moment trip up to Manhattan, KS to watch the Miss Rodeo Kansas State horsemanship competition at Weber Hall. I enjoyed visiting with past Miss Rodeo K-State, Meagan Brockhoff and catching up with friends. Congratulations to Danielle Stuerman, your 2014 Miss Rodeo K-State!

Next up, Moundridge, KS! I spend the rest of the weekend helping setup for the Miss Teen Rodeo Kansas crowning celebration of my good friend and traveling partner for this year, Abby Harders. I adore this young lady and have gotten to know her and her family over the last few years. I am so excited to spend my year with Abby and hope that I can be a great role model for her as my queen was my Teen year. Hats off to you Abby!

My final trip in February was a two week journey starting with the Silver Spurs Rodeo in the Sunshine State, Florida! Here, 24 other state queens and myself gathered for a week full of school visits, beaches, airboat rides, gator spotting, hog hunting, obstacle courses, and of course.. RODEO! One opportunity that I enjoyed the most was participating in my first Special Needs Rodeo. Here I was paired with a little girl with brave heart and a huge love for rodeo! I am still wrapping my mind around all of the great opportunities we had in Florida and cannot thank Mark & Laura Kessler enough for making it such an amazing trip. Also, thank you to Susan Jowers for putting me up in her beautiful guest house and making me feel right at home.

From Florida I flew straight to Arizona for the Champions Challenge and historic Parada del Sol Rodeo. The first few days I spent in Marana, riding horses with Miss Rodeo Arizona, Brittany Truman, and Miss Turquoise Circuit, Kagan Massey. A beautiful mountain backdrop, great weather, and some neat little horses made for a great start to my trip in Arizona! From there, we made our way to Scottsdale for the rodeo! Thursday evening, I cheered on Team B&W as I watched my first Champions Challenge in person. What a neat way for fans to watch the top contestants and top stock battle it out on a made for TV series. Be sure to watch the next Champions Challenge after the May 17th rodeo in Redding, CA!

On Friday, we made our way to Salt River Fields to watch a spring training baseball game and also watched the Scottsdale Pro Bulls bull riding. My final few days in Scottsdale were spent representing Kansas at the Parade del Sol Rodeo. This rodeo put on a great show and I thank them and Miss Rodeo Arizona for their hospitality.

I am now spending a few weeks at home catching up on life before I hit the road again. It is hard to believe that two and a half months of this year are in the past; they weren’t kidding when they said it would fly by!  Thank you to all of my sponsors and you all for following me as I begin this journey.

Until next time, be blessed and have a wonderful start to your Spring!

~ Katera

What a rush the last few months have been! It seems like just yesterday I was standing in the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo Arena being announced as the 2014 Miss Rodeo Kansas. Though my reign doesn’t official start until January 1st, it has already been a busy few months for me. As I prepare to begin my journey as Miss Rodeo Kansas, I want to take a minute to share with you my last few exciting months as lady-in-waiting.

After the four day competition in late July and August and letting the reality of my future set in for a few weeks, I got right to work preparing to gather sponsors for my year and planning my fundraiser event in January. I am excited to be representing some wonderful businesses and organizations this coming year!

My first appearance as Miss Rodeo Kansas 2014 led me to the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson the first weekend in September. Here, Abby Harders, Miss Teen Rodeo Kansas, and I enjoyed greeting spectators at the Kansas Fur Harvesters Booth and even learning a bit about trapping and different critters native to our great Kansan Plains. As always, thank you to the Kansas Fur Harvesters Organization for their continued support of Miss Rodeo Kansas.

Next, I was able to be in title for a few events in my community. I was asked to carry the American flag during each performance of our Colby Community College Rodeo and also help with the Party for the Potties Fundraiser for our local Museum. I also attended my church’s annual auction where I helped with the live auction. The Colby Rotary Club then asked me to give a talk on Miss Rodeo Kansas at one of their weekly meetings. It is always an honor to represent my community while in my community. It never ceases to amaze me how much support I receive in Northwest Kansas and how I am always welcome with open arms.

When I tell people that I will be attending the Kansas Fur Harvesters Rendezvous, I always get a puzzled look. I may have even given that same puzzled look a few years ago when I was told I would be attending. Never would I have imagined I would meet so many amazing and talented people. It is always an excited adventure. This year, the rendezvous was held in Washington, KS and I was happy to share this adventure with my parents. You might wonder what exactly happens at an event like this. Let me give you a run down. This weekend was full of trap setting competitions, skillet throwing competitions, educational demonstrations on trapping and fleshing, merchandise booths, auctions, and much more! Here I also received my coyote fur coat donated by the Kansas Fur Harvesters and made by Fur Arts, which I had been looking forward to for a long time! I had a wonderful time there and cannot wait to return again next year.

My final adventure as lady-in-waiting led me to “The City of Lights”, Las Vegas! Shelia Croft, Coleen Chartier, and I flew out the day after Thanksgiving for a twelve day trip to the Miss Rodeo America Pageant and Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. As lady-in-waiting, it is a great opportunity to go see what the pageant it all about so I can prepare for next year. I attended all of the events for the MRA pageant where I got to cheer on our very own Kara Hackney. She did a wonderful job representing Kansas and even made top ten! Congrats, Kara! Congratulations to Paige Nicholson from Mississippi, the new Miss Rodeo America.

While in Vegas I was also able to attend three nights of the rodeo which is always a great time. I met many of the other ladies-in-waiting who I will travel to many places with next year. I can already tell we have a great group of state queens for 2014 and I will leave this journey with lifelong friends. One of my favorite memories from this trip was attending the PRCA Awards Banquet with Dr. R.C. and Mary Trotter. Thank you to the Trotters for the invitation for a fun night! I had such a wonderful trip to Las Vegas with Shelia and Coleen and am looking forward to competing next December!

My year as Miss Rodeo Kansas is approaching quickly and already packed full of new adventures. January and February will be a whirlwind! For now, I am planning my Coronation Celebration and Fundraiser set for January 18th at the American Legion in Colby. I would love to see everyone there! If you plan on attending contact me at 785-443-9068 to RSPV. Thank you to all of my continued and new sponsors including Dodge City Roundup Rodeo, Kansas Fur Harvesters, Crop Production Services, Saddler Imagery, Western Sprinklers and many, many more!

I am thrilled to begin this adventure of a lifetime and share my experiences with you all! Until next time, have a Happy New Year and God Bless!

~ Katera