New queens presented at rodeo

Yuma's Jaycees Silver Spur Rodeo has two new queens and were presented to the crowd during Saturday night's performance.

Nicole Stewart will wear the crown this coming year as the rodeo queen while Dallas Leigh is the new teen queen.

Others competing in the queen category were Katee Lankford, Samantha Eatherly and Claire Sexton. In the teen queen category, other contestants were Jessica Rathburn, Leslie Aubrey and Aliyah Worley.

Contestants were judged on such factors as personality, horsemanship, speech, appearance, knowledge of rodeo and world events and modeling.

"It's a great (field of contestants). I am so happy with this year's," said Laurie Brown, royalty director for the Jacyees. "They're so competitive and talented."

Stewart, 17 and a junior at Kofa High School, is the daughter of Rick and Lynette Stewart. She attributes her love of the outdoors to being raised with three brothers.

"Horses have been a big part of my life since I was little," she said. She's been competing in team pennings and recently has become involved in other rodeo activities.

Stewart also has been active in 4-H and FFA, raising market lambs and steers.

She said she's been interested in running for a queen title for some time and this year made the push.

"I love rodeos and I also love to travel. What better way to do both of these while wearing the sash and crown, and represent our Yuma County as your 2008 Yuma Jaycees Silver Spur Rodeo queen."

She was sponsored by Stewart and Stewart Industrial Electric.

Stewart won in the appearance, horsemanship, speech, photogenic and essay categories. Sexton won in personality and was voted Miss Congeniality by her peers.

Lankford was named first runner-up.

Leigh, 13, is an eighth- grade honor roll student at Gila Vista Junior High School. The daughter of Kelly and Sally Leigh, she is the youngest of four children.

A member of Yuma Moos 4-H Club, this is the third year she is raising a market lamb for the upcoming Yuma County Fair.

"I have been riding horses and grown up around them for all of my life. My dad rode horses when he was younger and has passed on the passion for horses down to me."

Leigh said she has always wanted to be a rodeo queen, "and I think I could be a great role model for many young girls who have the same dream."

She was sponsored by River Marine.

Leigh won in the personality, appearance and horsemanship categories and was selected as Miss Congeniality. Worley won the speech category, and Aubrey the photogenic and essay categories.

Aubrey was named first runner-up for teen queen.

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Joyce Lobeck can be reached at jlobeck@yumasun.com or 429-6853.