The Crawford County Fair 2012 Rodeo Queen has been crowned.
Pittsburg High School senior Sam Sarley, 17, was crowned as the second annual Rodeo Queen during Thursday night’s rodeo in Bill Peak Arena. She replaces Shelby Lewis, of Pittsburg, who was the inaugural Rodeo Queen last year.
Sarley said she faced tough competition. The other candidates were Layne Karhoff, 13, daughter of Mark Karhoff and Tanya Karhoff, who will be an eighth grader in the fall at the Girard Middle School; Hartley Merrell, 13, daughter of Scott and Dustee Harrison, McCune, and Lewis and Nancy Merrell, Girard, who will be a Girard High School freshman; Abbigail Stephan, 16, daughter of Tim and Lisa Stephan , Walnut, who will be a GHS junior; and Rebecca Wright, 14, daughter of Wayne and Tammy Wright, St. Paul, who will be in the ninth grade at St. Paul.
“It was really up in the air who got it,” Sarley said after the ceremony. “I was really nervous because I know we all worked really hard to do our best. It was a very happy feeling because I don’t do horses in 4-H and I just wanted to take a swing at it.”
Karhoff, Merrell, Stephan and Wright are all members of the Lucky Riders 4-H Club, which is mostly a horse club. Sarley, who is in the Win or Bust 4-H Club, said she’s been riding all her life, but has only owned a horse — a paint quarterhorse mare named Roxy — for a year and a half. She said she wanted to compete for the crown because it would allow her to bring 4-H to more people.
“I’ve always enjoyed 4-H, and when they started the Rodeo Queen last year I thought it would be a cool way to promote 4-H,” Sarley said. “I do tons of projects and I enjoy working with animals and doing projects. This is something I can use to work myself up year ‘round and get ready for this week.”
As queen, Sarley attend numerous activities and events, including parades.
“It gives me a reason to be more active,” she said. “Shelby went to a lot of things, and I’ll have to live up to what she did.”
Lewis, herself emotional after handing over the crown, said her joy for Sarley is heartfelt and that she thinks she will make a fine Rodeo Queen.
“I told them to always do it with the best intentions, and I know Sam will do that,” Lewis said.
The Crawford County Fair 2012 Rodeo Queen has been crowned.
Pittsburg High School senior Sam Sarley, 17, was crowned as the second annual Rodeo Queen during Thursday night’s rodeo in Bill Peak Arena. She replaces Shelby Lewis, of Pittsburg, who was the inaugural Rodeo Queen last year.
Sarley said she faced tough competition. The other candidates were Layne Karhoff, 13, daughter of Mark Karhoff and Tanya Karhoff, who will be an eighth grader in the fall at the Girard Middle School; Hartley Merrell, 13, daughter of Scott and Dustee Harrison, McCune, and Lewis and Nancy Merrell, Girard, who will be a Girard High School freshman; Abbigail Stephan, 16, daughter of Tim and Lisa Stephan , Walnut, who will be a GHS junior; and Rebecca Wright, 14, daughter of Wayne and Tammy Wright, St. Paul, who will be in the ninth grade at St. Paul.
“It was really up in the air who got it,” Sarley said after the ceremony. “I was really nervous because I know we all worked really hard to do our best. It was a very happy feeling because I don’t do horses in 4-H and I just wanted to take a swing at it.”
Karhoff, Merrell, Stephan and Wright are all members of the Lucky Riders 4-H Club, which is mostly a horse club. Sarley, who is in the Win or Bust 4-H Club, said she’s been riding all her life, but has only owned a horse — a paint quarterhorse mare named Roxy — for a year and a half. She said she wanted to compete for the crown because it would allow her to bring 4-H to more people.
“I’ve always enjoyed 4-H, and when they started the Rodeo Queen last year I thought it would be a cool way to promote 4-H,” Sarley said. “I do tons of projects and I enjoy working with animals and doing projects. This is something I can use to work myself up year ‘round and get ready for this week.”
As queen, Sarley attend numerous activities and events, including parades.
“It gives me a reason to be more active,” she said. “Shelby went to a lot of things, and I’ll have to live up to what she did.”
Lewis, herself emotional after handing over the crown, said her joy for Sarley is heartfelt and that she thinks she will make a fine Rodeo Queen.
“I told them to always do it with the best intentions, and I know Sam will do that,” Lewis said.