Greenwood Senior running for Rodeo Queen title
Horseback riding is something of a family tradition for Ashlee Hamm. Having taken part in rodeos and other activities since the age of three, Hamm has grown to be very familiar with the horse world and the many opportunities they offer to young riders. Taking advantage of one such opportunity, Hamm is participating in the Amherst Little Britches Rodeo Queen competition, the winner of which will be decided at the end of August.
A soon-to-be senior at Greenwood High School, Hamm said horseback riding and rodeos have always been a part of her life. Starting with her grandparents, who raised her mother Kristen alongside horses, she said the family legacy continued when she was born, being raised with horses like her mother before her.
“I have been horseback riding since I was three years old,” she said. “I really enjoy it. I remember when I was younger and riding in the Stanley rodeo my mom, my grandpa and my grandma would take us all over the place to shows. My grandpa was the one who got me my first horse. That is the thing I have with my family. My mom grew up with horses and so did I.”
Through her lifelong commitment to horseback riding, Hamm said she has learned many skills. Participating in events such as barrel racing, pole bending and goat tying -- her specialties as a member of the Little Britches of Wisconsin (LBW) -- she has learned to communicate with her horses through hard work and practice.
“My first real exciting thing was when I was about seven or eight and I won my first belt buckle at the Stanley rodeo,” she said. “It takes a lot of training and a lot of balance to ride. You learn how to do it over time. We ride the horses for about an hour every day for practice.”
As a member of the LBW for the past two years and a rodeo participant, Hamm said she has the opportunity to run for the Little Britches Rodeo Queen, a competition based out of Amherst and available to all members of the organization, regardless of origin. This year, she said there are five contestants running for the title.
“This year there are five of us running, girls from all over the state and one from Illinois,” she said.
This will be the second time Hamm will run for the title of Rodeo Queen. As a new member of the LBW last year, she said she had decided to try the competition and see what it was all about. Although her inexperience that year didn’t help, she said participating last year allowed her to learn more about other area riders, establish connections and discover the important things LBW does for Wisconsin communities. It is something she feels makes her a better candidate this year, and she is taking the competition much more seriously because of it.
“I ran last year for rodeo queen,” she said. “That was my first year and it helped me to meet new people in the horse world and learn more about it. They gave me tips and advice on how to do different things. Last year when I did it I didn’t know what I was doing. I wasn’t as into it as I should have been. This time, I’m doing it again and taking it much more seriously.”
To participate in the pageant for the Little Britches Rodeo Queen, Hamm said a contestant must sell 400 raffle tickets prior to the competition in Amherst on Aug. 19. For the past few weeks, she has been visiting sites around the Greenwood area to ask for community support in her endeavor, and has some individuals contribute toward her goal.
After she completes the sale, Hamm said the next part of the competition is the pageant on the night of Aug. 19. At the competition, she said there are three areas a contestant will be tested: in poise and personality, horsemanship and speech.
“You have to sell 400 raffle tickets and that will qualify you to win a saddle and a scholarship,” she said. “In the actual competition you are tested on your horsemanship, you have a public interview and a one-on-one interview with the judges.”
As a rider, Hamm said horsemanship is one of the most important tests one can face in a competition like the Little Britches Rodeo Queen pageant. In most competitions, speed is the most important factor in winning, but when horsemanship is involved, that speed is taken out of the equation, allowing the judges to see just how good of a bond there is between the horse and rider.
“In the horsemanship skills they get to see you as a rider,” she said. “My area is speed, but horsemanship slows you down and shows the judges the bond you have with your horse.”
After the competition is completed on Aug. 19, the winner will be selected from among the five candidates on Aug. 20. Whomever is chosen, Hamm said, will then carry the responsibilities of Rodeo Queen, which will include interacting with youth from the LBW at rodeos throughout the year, giving out awards to members of the organization and leading attendees at rodeos in the Pledge of Allegiance.
“It is cool, you get to go out to different things and see other people and places,” she said. “I would be very excited and honored to represent the LBW, they are an amazing organization and they help a lot of people. I hope people will see what we do as a rodeo.
For anyone interested in purchasing raffle tickets from Ashlee Hamm, please contact her via e-mail at: asherbee18@gmail.com.
Ashlee Hamm (left and below) is one of five candidates running for the Amherst Little Britches Rodeo Queen title. During the next month, each candidate will be selling raffle tickets to qualify for scholarships as part of the contest. The next Rodeo Queen will be decided after competition on Aug. 19 in Amherst and crowned on Aug. 20. The contest will include an interview process and a show of
CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
horsemanship skills to prove to the judges that the candidate possesses good people skills and a solid relationship with
their horse.
