2020 Media Guide - INTRO

Miss Rodeo America

2020 Miss Rodeo America

Since its inception in the mid-1950s, the Miss Rodeo America Pageant has blossomed into one of the premier events held in conjunction with the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Last December in Las Vegas, 26 young women represented their states, competing in multiple events over several days to determine the 2020 Miss Rodeo America at the 65th annual Miss Rodeo America Pageant. The women showcased their talents in horsemanship by riding unfamiliar horses that belong to PRCA stock contractors; in public speaking by delivering extemporaneous speeches, answering impromptu questions, and undergoing both personal, media and horsemanship interviews; and in modeling Western fashions. The women are also judged on personality, appearance, knowledge of rodeo and ability to share their enthusiasm for it, and their photogenic qualities. With a capacity crowd on hand at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, 25-year-old Jordan Tierney fromOral, S.D., won the crown. International Rodeo Management (IRM) developed the concept of a Miss Rodeo America Pageant in 1955. The group recognized that royalty had been a part of rodeo since the sport’s pioneer days, and they visualized an opportunity to promote rodeo and theWestern way of life through an attractive, intelligent young woman who could represent rodeo to the public. A three-member committee established the contest guidelines and rules for selecting the first lady of professional rodeo. The first Miss Rodeo America Pageant, with nine young women vying for the title, took place in 1955 in Casper,Wyo. In 1956, the pageant moved to Chicago.The following year, it moved again, this time to San Francisco, where Miss Rodeo America 1958 was crowned during the Grand National Rodeo. The still-infant organization made another move in 1959: to LasVegas, wheremany of the hotels played host to the pageant during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1990, after several moves between Oklahoma and Las Vegas, the pageant returned to LasVegas, where it is still held today. In January 1992, the organization reincorporated in Colorado as Miss Rodeo America Inc. and was officially recognized by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association as the sole entity to select Miss Rodeo America. The pageant reached another milestone in 1992when $30,000 in scholarships were awarded to contestants. In 1995, for the first and only time in the history of the pageant, Miss Rodeo America Pageant contestants took part in the opening ceremonies of the Wrangler NFR at theThomas &Mack Center in Las Vegas. In 1998, theMiss Rodeo America Scholarship Foundationwas incorporated to handle scholarships for the organization, which have grown to $99,500 in education funding for contestants. For more information or to schedule an interview with Miss Rodeo America, contact Miss Rodeo America at 719.313.9063, www.missrodeoamerica.com, or 101 ProRodeo Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80919.

Jordan Tierney

Hometown: Oral, S.D. Date of birth: 09/03/1994

A cowgirl from a well-known rodeo family, Jordan Tierney, was crowned Miss Rodeo America 2020 Dec. 8 at the Tropicana in Las Vegas. She became SouthDakota’s fifth queen to hold the national title. Q.What do you thinkwas key to your win? Miss RodeoAmerica 2020 JordanTierney: Before I went out on the stage to answer my final question I said to myself, ‘I’m going to speak from the heart.’ I believe that’s what I did and think that’s what was the key. Q.What is a different way you would like to promote rodeo? MRA JT: Using social media platforms… being able to have that influence on those platforms, because you can reach girls and boys anywhere in the U.S. and world. You don’t just have to be at a rodeo to have that reach. Q. What advice do you have for girls aspiring to be a rodeo queen? MRA JT: The number one thing is to always be yourself. That’s kind of a cliché thing to say but coming into this competition and throughout my year as Miss Rodeo South Dakota, I wanted to be myself. And if I wasn’t what they wanted then I would be perfectly content with that. I just wanted to be authentically me.

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INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL INFORMATION