Staff Report
Young Guns Junior Rodeo held its July rodeo this past Saturday at Hidden Springs Arena in Pisgah, AL. This rodeo was an exciting and monumental day for the program. YGJR crowned their first-ever Rodeo Royalty.
Introducing YGJR 2023 Rodeo Royalty:
Young Guns Junior Rodeo Tiny Miss – Rylan Cooper
“Hello, I am Rylan Cooper, 2023 YGJR Tiny Miss. I am excited to start my reign off with passion and persistence. I am originally from Wyoming and come from a rodeo family rooted in Wyoming and South Dakota. I am inspired by my ancestors, and I’m most excited to follow in my
grandmother’s footsteps, who once held a queen title herself. I look forward to spreading my love of horses, rodeo, God, and the Western lifestyle across my territory while representing the
Young Guns Junior Rodeo Association. My plans involve training horses and teaching others to ride.”
Young Guns Junior Rodeo Junior Miss – Jaidyn Kittle
“Hi! My name is Jaidyn Kittle, 2023 YGJR Junior Miss. I have three horses of my own. I compete in Barrel Racing, Pole Bending, Goat Tying, and Breakaway Roping. I have competed in rodeo for five years and love every minute! I’m a freshman at Pisgah High School. I am super excited to be the first YGJR Junior Miss!”
Young Guns Junior Rodeo Queen – Tyler Cleveland
“Hello, I’m Tyler Cleveland, 2023 YGJR Queen. I am an upcoming senior in high school. I also take dual enrollment classes. This is my second year competing in rodeos. I also show beef cattle and am on the Livestock Judging team at Susan Moore High School. I am honored to use my platform to help be an advocate for the sport that I love most and be able to help positively influence our younger generation.”
The queens will make several public appearances throughout the upcoming year. They will carry the flags in the grand entry at each rodeo. During the rodeos, they work in the arena with the Buckaroo division (5 years and under). The rodeo queen pageant consisted of an interview with the judges, modeling, and horsemanship. The pageant had six amazing young ladies: Ivy Read, Rylan Cooper, Jadiyn Kittle, Lily Blevins, Tyler Cleveland, and Kiara Ballew. They all did amazingly well in their first rodeo queen competition. If you have an event you would like the queens to attend, please contact the rodeo contact below.
Denim and Diamonds – Rodeo Prom will be held on August 12, 2023, at Meeks Gin. Rodeo contestants’ tickets are on sale now.
YGJR is a local rodeo association for youth ages one to 19. Rodeos are held monthly at Hidden Spring Arena from May through October. For more information, please visit the website at https://www.younggunsjuniorrodeo.com or contact the director Mrs. Christine Graham at 256-605-1245.
Photography by Cait Russell- https://www.caitrussellphotography.com
