2022 Miss Rodeo Oregon Avalon Irwin!

While the month of August wasn’t as busy as June and July, it still held some very important events. The first week of the month was a special one for my family as we were hosting my sister and her bridal party before her wedding. The week was filled with daily and celebration as we introduced everyone to all that Central Oregon has to offer. At the end of the week there was a beautiful outdoor ceremony in Sunriver uniting my sister and her college sweetheart in the life
they have chosen to embark on together. I was honored to get to perform the job of Maid of Honor for my sister, a job I have been looking forward to having since we were children. It was wonderful to get to spend the week with my sister preparing for her big event. The thing I always enjoy the most is the people I meet. I was so grateful to get to deepen my relationships with her friends and add a new brother to the family.

After a week of wedding celebrations my family and I got a quick week off before it was time to head to Canby for the Miss Rodeo Oregon Pageant. Being on the other side of the pageant this year was quite the experience of its own. I was so grateful to get to be such a big part of the Canby Rodeo, helping pack sponsor flags and push cattle in the arena. This rodeo will always have such a special place in my heart. The pageant this year was a blast; both contestants brought their A game and did a wonderful job. It was also very special to get to spend so much time with the judges this year. As I prepare for America they were right there to give me wisdom, answer questions, and share any stories of their experiences. All of which I was incredibly grateful for.

The last big event of the month of August was to finish my application for the Miss Rodeo America Pageant. The application was due September 1st and I am proud to say that my entry was in early! It was really nice to spend the month reflecting on the person I am, not just as Miss Rodeo Oregon, but as Avalon. There are a lot of special experiences I have had in my lifetime that have made me the woman I am today and I am very excited to get to share those experiences with everyone. As I have traveled down the road I try to remind young women that we are so much more than the title we carry for a year. We are experiences, dreams and ambitions. Those are the things that qualify us to be the leaders we are and those are the things we need to remember about ourselves when faced with adversity. Because who we are at the core is far more important than any title or job we might have. I encourage you to write down some of those experiences you have had in your lifetime and post them somewhere that you can reference them when you need to be reminded of how awesome of a person you are.

Here are some of fun facts about me that you might not have known that made the pages of my Miss Rodeo America Application:
● I spent a summer in Altea, Spain doing community outreach through art as my college internship
● I am PADI scuba certified (Best PE class I ever took!)
● I love going horse camping (If you have not seen all the cool places to camp with your horse in Oregon, check out Kim McCarrel’s guide books!)
● I spent a semester of college training with the Airforce Officer’s Program

I hope that some of these experiences can inspire you and show you that you can be a successful horsewoman and enjoy other activities. Keep up with all of us on social media to see where the month of September leads us!
Blessings,
Avalon Irwin
Miss Rodeo Oregon 2022

Pendleton Queens' Trip

Since 2010, when Ashley (Zeigler) Minaise was Miss Rodeo Oregon and thought up this idea, we have invited State Queens to Oregon for the Pendleton Round Up.  It's tradition that the event is hosted by the reigning Miss Rodeo Oregon so, this year, these lovely ladies will converge in Central Oregon where Avalon Irwin has activities planned.  In 2010, the queens went to Newport Bay for dinner, visited Oregon Health & Sciences University Doernbecher Children's Hospital for visits with patients, and then traveled to Pendleton.

Stay tuned for photos and a special article about Pendleton 2022 Queens' Trip in next month's newsletter!

2022 Miss Teen Rodeo Oregon Destiny Wecks!

With kids going back to school and summer days are getting limited, rodeos haven't slowed any and the rodeo athletes are just getting warmed up in their season!

2022 Junior Miss Rodeo Oregon Carrie Woods!

What a busy month! Although August wasn’t packed with rodeos, I still kept busy outside of the rodeo arena!

For the first few weeks of August, I was getting ready for my county fair. I was busy clipping my animals, getting my things ready to load in the trailer to take to the fair grounds and lots more. This year I took my market goat to show in 4-H Showmanship, Conformation, as well as to sell in the youth livestock auction. I also brought three other dairy heifers, one to sell, and the other two just to show. This year I ended up winning 4-H Intermediate Market Goat Showmanship, which means I had to compete in Master Showmanship where I had to show a steer, swine, sheep, dairy cow, dairy goat, and a breeding goat. Although it was a little tricky at times, I guess it all paid off in the end because I was the Intermediate Master Showmanship Champion! I had a blast at county fair this year and I can’t wait for next year!

I didn’t have much downtime until it was time to leave home again. This time I headed to Canby for the Miss Rodeo Oregon pageant.  We started off with Orientation and later on had the PJ Party where all of the contestants and MRO titleholders got to play lots of games and have a good time! The next day we signed autographs for people at the fair and later on we all did our run ins in the Canby arena! The next day, Friday, was for sure a busy day! We started off with Horsemanship in the morning, then followed by lunch at the Wild Hare. We then headed over to Swan Island Dahlias to get some gorgeous shots with all of the beautiful flowers. Later on, we had the Mock Media Interviews, signed autographs and once again did our run ins! Then Saturday came.  We had one last fashion show rehearsal until the big show where we all did our dance while modeling our western trend outfits. Then Destiny and I got to talk a bit about our year so far and then got to watch both of the contestants model, give their speeches, and answer the impromptu questions. Not long after, we all got ready for our last run in and then headed over to the entry gate to the arena for the crowning of the 2023 Miss Rodeo Oregon! Congratulations to Kearsten Friedrich! I can’t wait to see where the crown takes you in 2023! And congratulations to both of the contestants, Kearsten and Zoe--you both did an amazing job!

Then I was on the road again! Although this time was not for a rodeo, but for the Oregon State Fair! I showed my market goat, and my two dairy heifers, one for 4-H and the other for FFA. I placed 7^th overall in the Market Goat Showmanship class, 8^th in FFA Dairy Showmanship, and Champion in 4-H Dairy Showmanship! Which meant I had to compete in Master Showmanship again. But this time, I had to show a llama too! We got through Master Showmanship with only a few stubborn animals and a very upset llama--yes it did spit at me twice, I don’t think it liked me very much. 😂Overall I had a great time at my first State Fair and can’t wait to show again next year!

Until next month!

Carrie Woods

2022 Junior Miss Rodeo Oregon

Pageant 2022--Some Highlights!