Kelly Krigner wasn't expecting to be hailed by adoring fans as she passed out programs during Saturday's Spartan Stampede IPRA Rodeo at the Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education.
"I sold four programs to this mom and she asked me to autograph them for her daughters," said Krigner. "It was so cute."
Krigner, a kinesiology senior, was a rodeo queen contestant last weekend in the International Professional Rodeo Association event, a flashy pageant where cowgirls compete in horse showmanship, modeling, speaking ability, personal interviews and a written test. The winner of the competition serves as rodeo queen for the next year, appearing at events and working the crowds.
"You're the people person," said Jennifer Hill, an interdisciplinary studies in social science senior and the 2003 queen. "People who go to rodeos don't always know what's going on, so they have to ask you."
As Krigner stood in the ring on Saturday night sporting a star-spangled western shirt and white cowboy hat, she said she felt relieved that the competition and hard work were over. When it came time to crown the queen, Krigner's name wasn't announced.
She took the loss well, saying her disappointment was diluted by her win for "Miss Congeniality," a category voted on by all the queen contestants.
"It says a lot about your personality," she said. "It was nice to hear that the girls respected me. It was almost more rewarding than winning the queen."
Krigner's father, Jerry Krigner, came to watch the crowning ceremony. He said his daughter reacted with grace.
"It was an exciting moment," he said. "She had a great time being social with all the people around her."
Still mourning the death of her horse last year, Krigner was not even planning on entering the competition. At the last minute, she borrowed Hill's horse, Joe, even though she was unfamiliar with the animal.
During a Thursday night practice, Krigner struggled to take control of Joe as she directed him in formations around the arena.
Chewing gum between tongue clicks and verbal commands, Krigner ended the session with a smile.
"If I'm nervous, the horse is going to be nervous," she said. "You just have to go through it, plug away and be happy."
Krigner was more confident about the speaking event, where she delivered a speech about how rodeo has affected her life. She also said she had fun picking out new outfits for the modeling competition, where it's important for contestants to stand out.
"With the queen, you're going to up it a little bit," she said of her costume's western flair.
"Maybe put a hot pink shirt in there with black piping. And I like scarves. Scarves are my trademark."
With five women vying for the queen spot, Krigner said the competition never turned sour.
"We've got great girls," she said. "You help each other out with the makeup and hair because you've got to get 'queen hair.' It's unbelievable- lots of hair spray."
