Brandy
(DeJongh) Whitlow
2000 Miss Rodeo America
Every
year, many young cowgirls from across the country vie for the coveted
title of Miss Rodeo America. In fact, some
even prepare for the role for
many years of their life, through competition in local and state
rodeo queen pageants in hopes of one day achieving this goal. On Dec.
4,
1999 in Las Vegas, 21 year old Brandy DeJongh of Leona Valley, Ca.,
was crowned
2000 Miss Rodeo America from a field of 32 exceptional contestants,
each representing their respective states at the 45th Annual Miss Rodeo
America
Pageant, held at the famous Flamingo Hilton.
The trail to becoming the "first lady of
professional rodeo" is
a very competitive one that requires dedication and passion for the
sport of rodeo. Today, it takes experience, training, perseverance plus
a little
luck to compete successfully at the state and national levels and
then go on to win the coveted crown. These young ladies, ranging in
ages
18 - 24, take to heart the job of representing America's own sport.
They are first cowgirls and athletes in their own right who have the
knowledge
of
their sport and the gift of communication to educate the public and
raise
the awareness level about professional rodeo and its related industries,
such as agriculture, western apparel and entertainment.
Brandy DeJongh, a beautiful blonde with a dazzling
smile, swept all major categories of competition, winning horsemanship,
speech,
personality,
appearance
and photogenic awards. She also received recognition for her scrapbook
and state table.
"The excitement is overwhelming, but not the job itself.
I
know I can handle the responsibility and I'm just looking forward to the year
ahead," said
DeJongh. "All of the ladies in this year's pageant were very
supportive. Instead of calling myself 'the winner' I think it would
be more appropriate
to refer to myself as the 'representative' of a great group of contestants."
"I hope to spend the year getting out more information
about rodeo, increasing the knowledge base about the sport so more people will
come
to watch
and be able to enjoy themselves more. It's important for spectators to know
that cowboys and the animals are partners in the sport. We respect
and appreciate all of the animals of rodeo because it is the necessary teamwork
between man and animal that makes rodeo unique."
Gaining the title of Miss Rodeo America means
that DeJongh will take a year off from her studies, pursuing a career
as a
dental hygienist,
to
spend the year 2000 traveling the continent as a representative of
the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Miss Rodeo America
Pageant.
NEXT: Shelly
Williams
Miss Rodeo America 1999
All
former Miss Rodeo America's