Cheyenne Frontier Days

I was excited to travel north to Wyoming for the Daddy of ‘Em All, Cheyenne Frontier Days. My experience in Cheyenne started at the legendary Arlene Kensinger’s house where we were treated to a wonderful Taco John’s meal. It was such a treat to view Arlene’s historic museum in her basement complete with a rodeo queen room covered in autographed pictures! After dinner we ventured to the rodeo grounds for the Sawyer Brown concert where the visiting royalty and I introduced ourselves. The Sawyer Brown concert was fantastic memory.

The next morning started early with the pancake breakfast in downtown Cheyenne. I love to cook, so making pancakes and tossing them in the air was right up my alley. Thankfully I made several dozen perfect pancakes and the Boy Scout helpers caught every one of mine as I threw them cautiously in the air! After the pancake excitement, we attended the Cowgirls of the West Brunch, where I was honored to sit with many fellow South Dakotans. The Cowgirls of the West Brunch was such a wonderful tribute to the many women who have helped preserve our wonderful western heritage.

Then it was off to the rodeo to do our well-known Cheyenne Frontier FLY-BYS! The beautiful black Harry Vold horses did a spectacular job running around the track at top speeds! It was such an exhilarating moment for me to realize that I was Miss Rodeo South Dakota and that I was about to run an incredible fly-by at the largest outdoor rodeo of the year.

Later that night I enjoyed the Professional Bull Riding tour performance. The next morning my Harry Vold horse, Sport and I joined up again for the famous Cheyenne Frontier Days parade, which hosts more horses than any other parade in the world. After the parade I enjoyed visiting with the Frontier Days committee and watching the parade. After another thrilling fly-by and PBR performance, sadly it was my last day at this great rodeo. I had the opportunity to flip more pancakes and to meet the outstanding Thunderbird pilots, which we had the opportunity to watch their spectacular air show later in the day. Overall my experience in Cheyenne was remarkable, thanks to Arlene Kensinger and Esther, our chaperones, the community of Cheyenne, the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo Committee, and my wonderful host home of Carol and Byron Rookstool.

Miss Rodeo Wyoming, Miss Rodeo Texas and me at Arlene's house.

Enjoying the Sawyer Brown concert

Tossing pancakes at the Chuckwagon Breakfast in downtown Cheyenne.

Miss Rodeo Oklahoma, Miss Rodeo Oregon, and me before our rodeo queen fly-bys!

The Cheyenne Frontier Days Queen, Kim Kuhn, myself, and

Rachel Shutter, the Cheyenne Frontier Days Lady-In-Waiting.

Play-by-play radio interview during the rodeo

Behind the chutes tour at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo

The legendary Cowgirl Hall of Fame Inductee, Arlene Kensinger and

me before the Cheyenne Frontier Days night show introductions.

My wonderful Harry Vold horse, Sport and me before the parade.

The parade line-up in front of the Cheyenne Capital building.

Indian Village

All of the visiting state queens before the PBR performance.

Participants of rodeo royalty turn their cameras toward the sky while watching a USAF Thunderbirds air show at Laramie County Community College in Wednesday July 22, 2009 in Cheyenne, Wyo. (AP photo/Laramie Boomerang, Andy Carpenean)