Five Lebanon girls will preside over the annual Calapooia Roundup and Rodeo.
Among them are Queen Rose Wyant, Princess Alicia Lown, Princess Robin Sliker, Duchess Teri Rush and Duchess Nikki McDonald.
Queen Rose is the daughter of Jon and Laurie Wyant of Lebanon. She is a 2002 graduate of Lebanon High School. She works at T&R Mini-Mart full time and is taking required courses at Linn-Benton Community College to become a veterinary technician.
Princess Robin is the daughter of Jim and Dianna Sliker of Lebanon. She is a 2003 graduate of Lebanon High School. She works at the Lebanon Animal Hospital. She plans to start at Linfield College this fall and enter the pre-veterinarian program before moving on to Oregon State University to become a veterinarian.
Princess Alicia is the daugther of James and Lynette Lown of Lebanon. She is a 2002 graduate of Lebanon High School. She was in the Northwest Pee Wee Rodeo Association. She works at Coastal Farms and plans to attend Linn-Benton Community College and become a paramedic.
Duchess Teri is the daughter of Rod Rush and Jim and Deb Caudill of Lebanon. She works at Hasty Freez in Lebanon. She will be a senior next year at Lebanon High School. She plans to attend Oregon Health Sciences University to study nursing.
Duchess Nikki is the daughter of Pamela and robert McDonald. She is a 2003 graduate of Lebanon High School. She will attend Linn-Benton Community College then Southern Oregon University. She is a cashier at Sears in Albany.
Being on the rodeo court is a “lifelong dream,” Duchess Teri said. She started riding horses when she was four and got her first horse. She enjoys “the adrenaline,” but “definitely not the early mornings.”
“I’ve always loved horses,” Princess Robin said. She has been riding since she was 10 or 11 years old. She became interested in the court last year after her equestrian team did drills at the rodeo. “I met Kelly (Kem, adviser), and fell in love with her and decided to try out for the rodeo court this year.”
Princess Alicia has been riding since she was at least five years old when she would ride her neighbors’ horses.
“I loved horses,” Princess Alicia said. “I begged my dad for one, and he got me one. It’s fun.”
“I’ve always wanted to be a rodeo queen since I was a little girl,” Queen Rose said. Her mother was a barrel racer, and she was on a horse for the first time when she was just three months old. She started riding when she was eight years old.
“If she could figure out a way to sleep on her horse, she would,” Kem said. She also can’t help helping little kids out. At Brownsville’s Pioneer Picnic, Queen Rose was busy coaching them on riding.
“It’s been a learning experience, Duchess Nikki said.
“It’s been so fun as well,” Princess Robin said.
The five members of the court have had “good times together,” Queen Rose.
Duchess Teri has enjoyed “waving at little kids in parades” and “signing autographs like we’re famous.”
The court placed first at the Pioneer Picnic Parade, third in the Lebanon Strawberry Festival Parade and first in the Albany Veteran’s Day Parade. They were not judged in Sweet Home’s Christmas Parade.
“This is like our grand thing,” Duchess Teri said of the Calapooia Roundup. “For once, people are coming to our rodeo.”
“We went to the Salem Rodeo,” Kem said. “The announce there said he can always tell the Calapooia Roundup Court because they’re the most beautiful girls in royal blue.… They’ve represented this community really well. I believe they’ve done everything that’s expected o them.”
Besides riding during the rodeo, the members of the court sell raffle tickets for a variety of prizes, including two three-day passes to the Oregon Jamboree, two tickets to the Pendleton Roundup, a mystery getaway and more.
For raffle ticket information, persons may call Sue Johnston at 367-4088, Princess Robin at 259-3035, Duchess Nikki at 979-6340, Queen Rose at T&R or Teri at Hasty Freez.