Every wonder what it is like to walk in Miss Rodeo Colorado's shoes?  See what the newest Miss Rodeo Colorado, Kellsie Purdy has been up to since being crowned in July!

A family tradition of ours is to start our New Year’s letter off with the song lyrics by John Lennon “So this is Christmas, and what have you done; another year over, a new one just begun.” It has been a wonderfully busy six months since I took the title of Miss Rodeo Colorado 2011 in July!  Meeting sponsors, making new friends and preparing for the next year has been a blast.

Running non-stop has taken on a whole new meaning for me as I spent the next week “relaxing” at home during the Rooftop Rodeo.  It was a real treat having Miss Rodeo America Kelli Jackson and the various state title holders for 2010 stay with us.  I got to see firsthand the mysterious life of a state rodeo queen.   

On July 17th I had the unique opportunity to attend the Arapahoe Park Racetrack for the Rocky Mountain Quarter Horse Association “Day at the Races.”  When I arrived in the morning I helped set up the Breast Cancer Awareness table, got the stick horses ready for the big race and casted the Pre- and Post- Race television broadcasts with the announcer. Later, I followed one of the “Day at the Races” tours into the announcers booth, the video room, and the stewards room.  Signing autographs and helping kids dunk jockeys in the Dunk Tank was not enough for this event; I put my running boots on and competed with the jockeys in a stick horse race on the track.  Don’t let the jockeys fool you, they are quick! With horse, helmet, vest, and banner all in place I made my way to the race track.  I couldn’t even imagine what kind of a thrill it would be to ride an American Quarter horse in a race.  I was honored to lead the post parade for the $100,000 Rocky Mountain Futurity and the $55,000 Rocky Mountain Derby.  If you haven’t seen the action at the track I suggest you get down there soon! 

The next weekend I was able to attend the 33rd Annual Brighton Feed and Saddlery Sale.  Spending the weekend with Roger and Verna Allgeier was a highlight of my summer.  If you have not attended this event, mark it on your calendar.  Saddle makers, painters, and leather artists from all over the country attend the sale.  This is the twentieth year Brighton Feed and Saddlery has donated a saddle to Miss Rodeo Colorado.  After riding in my new Powder River saddle, I will never buy a saddle from anywhere other than Brighton Saddlery.  

 Before school started in August, Kasie and I headed to Fort Collins to get our photos done by Skillman Photography. Pictures are important to Miss Rodeo Colorado and we are very blessed to have a sponsor who is phenomenal!  You will have a hard time finding a picture that isn’t perfect because the photographer keeps you relaxed and laughing.   

In September I joined Kasie again in Denver for the National Western Stock Show Hide Party.  I was able to meet people I will be working with for the National Western in January.  This party is to honor the buyers of the champion animals from the year before.  The money raised goes toward scholarships for college students.  

 The middle of September I made a trip down to Fort Lupton to talk to Barbara and Jerry Kauffman of JB Saddlery who donate a pair of chaps to Miss Rodeo Colorado and Miss Rodeo America.  Dozens of color samples and leather designs later, we came to a conclusion on my chaps.  I had bought a pair of chaps from them before and it was exciting to see them work their magic again. My new chaps are beautiful! I will wear them proudly at every rodeo I attend next year. 

At this time I was also working on my Coronation Dinner which will recognize the official sponsors of Miss Rodeo Colorado.  I am very proud to announce a personal sponsor of mine: Lake Shore Lodge of Estes Park, who will host the event.  Community is very important to the Estes Park rodeo family and I am excited to work with a local business to put on this dinner February 26! 

During the middle of October I had the opportunity to meet with Paul Stevens of Burt Chevrolet in Englewood.  Burt Chevrolet and the Chevy Colorado Dealers donate a pickup every year for Miss Rodeo Colorado to use during her reign. They have given me the use of an awesome 2011 Chevy Silverado 2500HD!  It’s a white, crew cab long bed with a Duramax 6.6L Turbo Diesel that will pull my horse Taos’s trailer wherever we want to go! It’s got all the really cool stuff you expect in a Chevy, including OnStar and XM radio so I can listen to all of my favorite country tunes on the road. This truck will be my traveling companion over the next year, and with the estimated 15,000 miles in front of me I will ride in style! 

Later that week, I picked up my fur coat from Don Clifford.  The Colorado Fur Trappers Association has been a gracious sponsor of Miss Rodeo Colorado by donating a fur coat to each year’s Queen.  This year I chose a red fox coat which Mr. Clifford said “was unique, like an old girlfriend.” Mr. Clifford also made a matching pair of mittens made of beaver.  A thousand words wouldn’t describe how beautiful this coat is.  I am excited for the opportunity to wear it this winter at the National Western Stock Show and many functions after that. 

The same day I stopped by Greeley Hat Works to talk to Trent Johnson about getting my hats cleaned and shaped. Greeley Hat Works donates awesome custom hats to Miss Rodeo Colorado which fit perfectly. Trent will make your day every time you stop in; on that day, he gave me three beautiful new hats! He just knew which ones I needed, too. (Another important fact about Trent – he really likes it when you bring him chocolate chip cookies!) I am ready to take on my year with his high quality handmade hats.

 The last weekend of October, Kasie put on a Pre-Las Vegas Fashion Show where she showed off her wardrobe for Miss Rodeo America.  Over the past six months I found out Kasie and I have a lot in common, including clothing tastes.  

On November 6th I joined Kasie to help her host the Colorado Association of Fairs and Shows (CAFS) queen clinic.  We had the opportunity to work with girls from all over the state on rodeo knowledge, modeling, hair and make-up. The girls put on a fashion show where they showed off clothing provided by 4 Bar Western Store, which is owned by former Miss Rodeo Colorado Kimber Solberg. It was a great time meeting new girls who I will travel with for the next 12 months.

 As the New Year comes and goes, I am getting ready for my year as Miss Rodeo Colorado 2011.  I am excited to meet everyone and create life long memories on the road.  “Another year over, a new one just begun…”

Kellsie Purdy