DAZZLING COLORS AND RADIANT SMILES LIGHT UP THE JACOBSEN
CENTER WHEN THAT COWGIRL QUEEN CONTESTANTS COMPETE FOR THE
CROWN.
THIS LONG-STANDING COMPETITION IS STEEPED IN TRADITION AND IS
KNOWN FOR SHOWCASING BOTH GLAMOR AND RIDING SKILLS.
GROOMING BOTH THE HORSE AND RIDER TAKES HOURS OF PREPARATION
THAT CAN PROVIDE A PRODUCTIVE OUTLET FOR SHOW-DAY NERVES.
I FEEL LIKE I AM GOING TO -. BUT I'M EXCITED TOO.
PUT A SMILE ON, HAVE FUN, AND GO OUT THERE AND ENJOY.
I'M EXCITED FOR IT TONIGHT.
SHE JUST LOVES IT.
SHE IS A HAM AND SHE LOVES ATTENTION.
NEARLY 150 RIDERS FROM ACROSS THE STATE WILL COMPETE IN THIS
YEAR'S IOWA STATE FAIR COWGIRL QUEEN CONTEST.
I'M ELEVEN YEARS OLD.
WHEN I WAS, LIKE, FOUR YEARS OLD, MY MOM TOOK ME TO GO SEE
ONE OF THESE THINGS AND I WAS WANTED TO DO IT.
THE CONTEST IS SPLIT INTO TWO DIVISIONS, A JUNIOR DIVISION AND
A SENIOR DIVISION.
THE JUNIOR DIVISION IS FOR RIDERS AGES 10-15.
DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF ENTRIES, THE RIDERS WERE DIVIDED
INTO FOUR PRELIMINARY ROUNDS OF COMPETITION.
THE TOP FIVE RIDERS FROM EACH ROUND COMPETE IN THE JUNIOR
DIVISION FINALS.
THERE ARE THREE JUDGES FOR THE COWGIRL QUEEN CONTEST.
WE SPOKE WITH ONE OF THE JUDGES FOR WHOM THIS EVENT HOLDS
SPECIAL MEANING.
IN 1969 I RAN FOR THE JUNIOR COWGIRL QUEEN AND WON.
THEN IN 1970 I CROWNED THE JUNIOR COWGIRL QUEEN.
IN 1971 I VIED FOR THE SENIOR COWGIRL QUEEN AND WON.
IT TAKES A LOT OF HORSE AND HORSEMANSHIP.
THE HORSE AND THE RIDER HAVE TO BE ONE.
YOU HAVE TO SHOW A LOT OF GRACE AND SPIRIT.
JERRY NOLTING IS A HORSE SHOW PROFESSIONAL AND A COWGIRL
QUEEN CONTEST ANNOUNCER.
THESE YOUNG LADIES, OF COURSE, HAVE EARNED THE RIGHT TO BE
HERE.
THEY'RE QUEENS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT.
THEY HAVE WON A COMPETITION ON THE LOCAL LEVEL, SO ALL OF THESE
YOUNG LADIES ARE TREMENDOUS HORSEWOMEN.
THE COMPETITION IS VERY FIERCE.
THESE HORSES ARE GOING TO LOOK THEIR FINEST, AND THESE YOUNG
LADIES ARE GOING TO LOOK THEIR FINEST.
THE JUNIOR DIVISION FINALISTS ANSWER A QUESTION FROM THE
JUDGES, AND PERFORM THE COWGIRL QUEEN SALUTE.
I THINK THE GIRL THAT WINS TONIGHT IS GOING TO PROVE TO ME
THAT SHE CAN RIDE A HORSE.
THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR TONIGHT: PROVE TO ME, BECAUSE
THEY'RE ALL GOING TO BE BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADIES TONIGHT.
BUT CAN YOU RIDE YOUR HORSE; THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO PROVE TO
ME THAT YOU DESERVE TO BE THE IOWA STATE FAIR COWGIRL QUEEN.
THE 2012 JUNIOR COWGIRL QUEEN IS BRITNEY ABERNATHY.
CONGRATULATIONS.
THE SENIOR DIVISION IS FOR RIDERS AGES 16-26.
NEARLY 80 RIDERS COMPETED IN THIS DIVISION.
WHEN THESE GIRLS COME IN THE ARENA, YOU CAN JUST ALMOST TELL
THE RELATIONSHIP THAT THEY HAVE WITH THEIR HORSE.
THE HORSES ARE LISTENING TO THEM.
THEY'RE GIVING CUES TO THEIR HORSES.
A GOOD COMBINATION, A RIDER AND A HORSE TOGETHER, IS PRETTY
SIGHT.
WE'VE BEEN A TEAM FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW.
I'M THE ONLY PERSON THAT'S EVER RODE HER.
I TRAINED HER MYSELF.
WE MAKE QUITE THE TEAM.
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON, WITH THE LITTLE COMMANDS.
YOU HAVE TO GET THE HORSE TO DO WHAT YOU WANT.
ESPECIALLY IN HERE THERE'S A LOT OF NOISE, SO YOU HAVE TO MAKE
SURE THAT YOUR HORSE IS PREPARED FOR THAT.
THE TOP 20 RIDERS WERE SELECTED FROM FOUR PRELIMINARY ROUNDS OF
COMPETITION.
YOU HAVE TO SAY I'M THE IOWA STATE FAIR COWGIRL QUEEN.
THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED TO PORTRAY THE ENTIRE TIME YOU'RE IN THE
CONTEST: THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO BE; I'M IT; I'M YOUR GIRL; PICK
ME.
THE COWGIRL QUEEN SALUTE ACTUALLY CAME FROM THE RODEO.
I THINK IT'S JUST A SHARP SALUTE AND A FAST RIDE AROUND THE
ARENA.
YOU'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO SIT THAT SADDLE AND RIDE THAT HORSE
AS FAST AS THAT HORSE WILL MOVE
COLLECTIVELY...
BUT COLLECTIVELY, NOT OUT OF CONTROL.
YOU AND THE HORSE HAVE TO LOOK LIKE YOU'RE MADE TO GO THAT FAST
YOU'VE BEEN THAT FAST BEFORE.
CONGRATULATIONS TO AMY TURNER, THE 2012 SENIOR COWGIRL QUEEN.