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Lori Bortner Miss Rodeo America
LAS VEGAS -- Lori Bortner of McCook was selected Miss Rodeo America on Saturday, topping a field of 25 contestants.
Bortner, 20, is the daughter of Robert and Barbara Bortner.
She attends College of Saint Mary in Omaha and is a 2000 graduate of McCook High School. She plans to attend medical school at the University of Nebraska to study orthopedic surgery.
"I felt extremely prepared," said Bortner, who also took Miss Personality honors. "I'd ridden a lot of the different horses in the field and felt pretty confident."
She has two brothers, Heath and Luke, and one older sister, Amy.
Kelly Kraegel of Murrieta, Calif., is the first runner-up and Addie Knowlton of Fowler, Colo., is second runner-up. The contestants were judged on personality, appearance and horsemanship.
Bortner is the fourth Nebraskan to win the pageant, following Dallas Hunt in 1957, Nancy Ann Simmons in 1967 and Lisa Poese in 1991.
In her role as Miss Rodeo America, Bortner will travel across the country promoting professional rodeo, western heritage and the western way of life. She will speak at schools and civic groups, appear at rodeo performances and star in commercials.
Among her awards is a $10,000 educational scholarship to the college or university of her choice, a wardrobe of Wrangler jeans, Justin boots, Resistol hats, a silver trimmed saddle, her official Miss Rodeo America trophy buckle from Montana Silversmiths and she will wear a Black Hills Gold tiara provided by Landstrom's.
Her first appearances will be at the Denver Western Wear Market and the World Championship Reception at the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo., both in January.
Twenty-zfive young ladies representing their respective states competed for the Miss Rodeo America honor during the weekling pageant, showcased at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas.
Contestants were judged in the major categories of horsemanship, personality and appearance, competing in the areas of public speaking, personal interviews, modeling, photogenics and rodeo equine knowledge.
"The future of rodeo is very bright and I'm looking forward to being a part of that," Bortner said during a post-pageant media conference.
"There is so much to know about the sport of rodeo, and Miss Rodeo America can do a great job of educating people about it and help rodeo producers elevate their level of event promotion."
The new Miss Rodeo America will travel approximately 100,000 miles in 2003, appearing at nearly 100 rodeo performances and special events.
Judges for the 2003 Miss Rodeo America Pageant were Miss Rodeo America 1991 Lisa Poese Jamison of Ashby, Neb.; professional barrel racer Monica Wilson of Cardston, Alberta, Canada; cattleman Mark Kessler of Kissimmee, Fla., and American Quarter Horse Association first vice president R. H. "Steve" Stevens Jr. of Houston.