Kinyon crowned 2017 Miss Rodeo Iowa, prepares for Miss Rodeo America

ORIENT – Extensive preparation and a five-year hankering for the title led to the moment Logan Kinyon had been waiting for.

The 22-year-old was crowned 2017 Miss Rodeo Iowa on Saturday, following the three-day pageant in Fort Madison.

“I became overwhelmed with emotion strictly because I have worked so hard for this, and it’s been a long-coming dream of mine,” said Logan of Orient. “I instantly felt tears running down my face, and I remember having this beaming smile and covering my mouth and thinking, ‘Is this really happening?’ They crowned me, and I got to do my first walk as Miss Rodeo Iowa, which was an amazing honor.”

Currently the “Lady in Waiting,” Logan will take over the title Jan. 1 from the 2016 Miss Rodeo Iowa, Shelby Chapman of Richland.

And, in December 2017, Logan will compete in the Miss Rodeo America pageant in Las Vegas.

Background

Logan, the daughter of Jamie and Lori Kinyon, completed her Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture business in December 2015 from Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri.

She currently works as an equine feed sales representative at Right Turn Feeds in De Soto with hopes to someday obtain a master’s degree in agriculture education to teach at the collegiate level.

“I have (ridden) horses since I was able to walk,” Logan said. “I competed in the Iowa High School Rodeo Association and also the American Quarter Horse Association for many years and have done several local rodeos and horse shows, as well.”

In rodeo, Logan has competed in barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, breakaway roping and cutting.

She fell in love with rodeo pageants around the time she was crowned 2012 Miss Rodeo Lenox.

“My friend Suzy Fife first got me into rodeo queen stuff. She is a former Miss Rodeo Iowa (2014),” Logan said. “But once I competed for the Lenox title and got a taste for it, it just became a part of who I was, and I knew someday I wanted to be Miss Rodeo Iowa.”

Miss Rodeo Iowa pageant

Logan applied for the Miss Rodeo Iowa pageant in June. She was one of two applicants accepted, making her sole competitor Chelsey Anderson of Thurman.

“I prepared for a few months prior to the competition, doing such things as working with a couple of different coaches doing mock interviews; studying (topics) such as equine health; keeping up on current events, rodeo rules and happenings in the rodeo world; preparing a speech and practicing answering impromptu questions,” Logan said.

One of Logan’s coaches was Aurilla Goldsmith of Corning.

“We started working together three or four months ago and met every week,” Goldsmith said. “We would work on certain things every week, so maybe one week was impromptu questions, the next was speech. Toward the end, I got a few folks she didn’t know together and they would give her interviews to prepare her for the pageant and ask her all those hard questions.”

The pageant began Thursday, Sept. 8, and that day included a personal interview with questions about each contestant’s résumé, as well as current-event questions. Then, the contestants rode in the Tri-State Rodeo in Fort Madison.

“On Friday, we did a horsemanship competition, in which you ride your horse on a set pattern and you’re judged on that,” Logan said.

A three-minute speech was next in the pageant, and Logan’s was about the history of the cowboy hat. She won the speech category.

The rest of Friday and part of Saturday included more interview questions, with Saturday’s questions focused on horsemanship.

“Horsemanship is 25 percent of your score,” Logan said. “We’re awarded points throughout the competition by the three judges. The things that we were judged on were knowledge, appearance, personality, modeling, speech and horsemanship.”

The last event Saturday was to model three outfits. Coronation immediately followed.

“We were very excited and so proud of her. It was a dream come true that she followed through with,” Lori said.

Logan said the most challenging part of the pageant was keeping her nerves in check.

“I had a lot weighing on this competition, and I had set pretty high expectations for myself,” Logan said. “Miss Rodeo Iowa is the biggest rodeo queen title in Iowa that you can get, but I tried to keep myself calm and remind myself I was prepared for this.”

Throughout 2017, she will travel more than 30,000 miles throughout the state and country promoting the sport of professional rodeo, animal welfare, agriculture and the Western lifestyle.

Logan will be honored in late February at a coronation celebration, which will include a meal, silent and live auctions and official crowning.

“I also won a number of prizes, including a custom belt buckle, custom chaps and custom saddle, as well as other supplies,” Logan said. “And, I’ll be getting sponsors throughout my year to help (finance) my travel expenses and some supplies I’ll need throughout the year.”

To donate to Logan’s upcoming auction, call her national director at 712-210-2777.

Miss Rodeo America pageant

The weeklong 2017 Miss Rodeo America pageant will be held in December 2017 in conjunction with the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

“It will be really exciting to see her along with the queens from all the other states compete in Las Vegas,” Lori said. “She has lots more studying and preparation to do during this next year, but I believe she’ll be up to the task and will do a great job in representing Iowa.”

The national competition will entail many of the same events as the state pageant.

“You’re judged on your knowledge, appearance, personality, public-speaking abilities and horsemanship,” Logan said. “There’s 15 or 20 different events each contestant will go through throughout the week, so it’s pretty extensive.”

Part of Logan’s preparation will be attending the 2016 Miss Rodeo America with her family in December to watch the current Iowa titleholder compete.

“I want to gain knowledge on how the pageant works and what to expect next year,” Logan said.

Starting now, she will study endlessly until the 2017 pageant to soak up all the rodeo-related information she can, Logan said.

“I think she’ll do great,” Goldsmith said. “She’s just starting her reign, so she’ll meet so many people and become even more prepared than she was for the state pageant. I think her character and willingness to work shines through.”

Before the pageant, Logan will also try her hand at riding various horses while working with trainers, and she will practice impromptu speaking and modeling. Throughout the national competition, she will wear nearly two dozen outfits.

“I know I’m going to have a great year as Miss Rodeo Iowa, and Miss Rodeo America is ... how you wrap up everything you’ve learned. You get to show everyone how hard you’ve worked throughout the year,” Logan said. “I know I’ll be nervous going into it, but I also know I will have worked hard throughout my year. I will have gained a lot of knowledge and, I’m sure, become a new woman after all of my travels and experiences.”

Logan expects 30 to 40 women to compete at the national rodeo pageant.

“So, it’s up to the three judges on how they feel about you over a week,” Logan said. “If I don’t win, I’m not going to be that upset. I’m going to know I represented myself and my state well.”