Rachel Oates, Miss Panola County Cattlemen's Association - Contestant #11

Let the games begin! The 2009 Miss Rodeo USA Pageant is FINALLY underway and words can not express the excitement I have felt all day long! I woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning at 6:00 a.m. ready to go. Of course, Check in/Orientation was not until 10:00 a.m. today, but you better believe that I was ready to go. I have been preparing for this very day for many months now and can't wait to spend the rest of the week with 11 of the most wonderful girls, all of the individual committees should be very proud, oh and the judges are nice too... I guess! With the help of my supportive parents, family, friends, and rodeo committee, I decided to pursue this dream. I would like to thank everyone for pushing me to believe in myself and my abilities. Yes, there were several times throughout the year when I wanted to give up and throw my lollipop in the dirt, but you all were there to keep me in line. I arrived in Oklahoma City on Saturday, by truck, and enjoyed a well needed day of rest on Sunday. After talking to all the other contestants who decided to fly in... I'm glad that I drove. Compared to them, my trip was quite uneventful. I drove from Lubbock, Texas, where I am currently attending Texas Tech University as a Graduate Student in the Agricultural Communications Department. My mother and grandmother, on the other hand, drove from Nacogdoches, Texas. We met up in Oklahoma City after a day of traveling and checked into the Biltmore Hotel, also known as "home", for a week. I really owe a lot to my mother and grandmother for helping me out. I couldn't have done this without them. I would also like to thank the Panola County Cattlemen's Association for all of their endless support. As day one comes to an end and we begin to prepare for day two and the rest of the week, I would like to thank everyone for supporting all of us. Until tomorrow... Good Night and God Bless!