The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming
The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming
Pee-Wee Princess
Riata Northup is the daughter of Charity Northup of Oshoto. She will be a fifth grader this fall at Moorcroft K-8 School.
She enjoys riding horses, swimming, singing and playing volleyball and basketball. She also participates in the Crook County Horseman’s Association Playdays and Youth Rodeos in the barrels and poles events.
Riata is a member of the Carlile Wranglers 4-H club. She helps her community by doing gardening and yard work for neighbors and helping clean the Oshoto Community Bible Church. Her scholastic ambition is to always get good grades.
She would like to represent Crook County as the next Rodeo Pee-Wee Princess so she can become a more confident rider and promote the cowboy/cowgirl way of life. Crook County is her home and she loves the area and the people here. Riata is sponsored by Stormy and Becky Burch of Oshoto.
Junior Princess
Raelee Riesland is the daughter of Dave and Susan Riesland of Oshoto. She will be a sixth grader this fall through Wyoming Connections Academy.
She enjoys horseback riding and reading, as well as rodeo and showing horses. Her scholastic ambition is to excel in her studies through high school.
Raelee is a member of the Little Powder 4-H Club. She helps her community through 4-H trash clean-ups, and helps her neighbors and grandma move cows.
Rodeo activities she participates in are bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, barrel racing, pole bending, and the flag race. Raelee qualified for the Fort Pierre Youth Rodeo Finals; twice in bareback riding and once in saddle bronc riding. In 2019 she qualified for the Jr. World Finals in saddle bronc riding in Las Vegas.
She would like to represent Crook County as the next Rodeo Junior Princess so she can do something to serve her county and have fun. Raelee is sponsored by her parents.
Lani Gill is the daughter of Gabe and Jenni Gill of Moorcroft. She will be a sixth grader this fall at Moorcroft K-8 School.
She enjoys riding horses, playing sports, jumping on the trampoline, gymnastics, crafts and being outside. Her scholastic ambition is to attend college to be a teacher. She loves being around little kids and taking care of elderly people too.
Lani is a member of the County 18 Homesteaders 4-H Club, and National Little Britches Rodeo. She helps her community with her 4-H Club, and always helps her grandparents. Rodeo activities she participates in are Crook County Youth Rodeos, Little Levi Rodeos and Little Britches.
She would like to represent Crook County as the next Rodeo Junior Princess so she can support rodeo and represent the western way of life. This is important to her because the world needs more cowgirls! Lani is sponsored by Dick and Janet Graham and Greg and Cindy Gill of Moorcroft.
Princess
Valerie Burch is the daughter of Austin and Amber Burch of Oshoto. She will be a sophomore at Moorcroft High School this fall. Her scholastic ambition is to attend the University of Wyoming in the nursing or veterinary program. She enjoys playing basketball, riding horses and training her colt. She lives on a ranch and enjoys helping with cattle work, as well as showing cattle and horses in 4-H and FFA.
Valerie is a member of the Whitcomb FFA Chapter, Carlile Wranglers 4-H Club, and AQHA. She has been an active participant in her community by helping local ranchers with brandings and cattle work, cleaning the rodeo grounds after the Hulett Rodeo with her 4-H club and various other activities with her 4-H club’s adoptive grandparents program. Rodeo activities she participates in are barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, flag race and breakaway roping.
She would like to become the next Crook County Rodeo Princess so she can represent Crook County and the western way of life, and be a role model for younger rodeo participants. She also would like to be an inspiration to younger girls so they might become involved with the rodeo royalty program.
Valerie is sponsored by Trophy Ridge Outfitters of Carlile, Stormy and Becky Burch of Oshoto, and Open Country Outfitters of Oshoto.
The Crook County Rodeo Royalty Association would like to recognize this year’s sponsors: Tower Valley Ag, Red Rock Café, Ponderosa Bar & Café, Impressions Embroidery, Hitchin’ Post, Belle Fourche Veterinary, Crook County Veterinary, Pinnacle Bank, Pre-Corp Foundation, Neiman Enterprises, Sundance State Bank, Betty White Scholarship Foundation, Coffee Cup Food & Fuel, Devils Tower View, Longhorn Café & Bar, Dog & Suds, Cassidy Feed & Seed, Serendipity Floral, Cowboys & Angels Hair Design, Dakota Mill & Grain, Crook County Fair Board and Crook County Farm Bureau. It is with your support that this program is possible.
The public is invited to attend the horsemanship competition on Friday, July 17 at 6 p.m. at the Hulett Rodeo Grounds. The crowning of the upcoming royalty is on Saturday, August 1 at 11:30 a.m. at the Sundance Arena.
