As this year’s Rodeo Queen Competition approaches, outgoing queen Brooke Focht is reflecting on her year wearing the crown while helping mentor the next group of contestants.
Rodeo queens help to serve as ambassadors and educators for the sport, blending horsemanship with community service and western heritage. In North Battleford, contestants begin by submitting an application and collecting ticket sales before competing in horsemanship, speeches, and social skills.
For Focht, North Battleford’s 2025 Kinsmen Rodeo Queen, her experience extended far beyond the arena. She said the role pushed her to become more involved in rodeo, while also sharpening valuable life skills.
Brooke Focht claiming her crown in April 2025.
“I have talked to an insane amount of people, and it has really improved my skills, I can talk to anybody. It helps in my everyday life; it helps at my job. Just being comfortable talking in front of large crowds and talking to all sorts of different people,” she said.
She highlighted some of her fondest memories of running flags at various rodeos over the year: 2025 CCA Rodeo, Unity Western Days Rodeo, and CCA Rodeo Finals. That’s something Focht believes the next queen will also enjoy.
Brooke Focht running flags at a 2025 rodeo. (Image Credit: Brooke Focht/ Submitted)
“Running the flag of the rodeo was very, very awesome. It just felt really good to be able to fly around and have people smile, and you get to smile back and wave and just make the crowd light up. I think that’ll definitely be a highlight for them,” she said.
As this year’s competition inches closer, Focht is eager to help support the contestants by sharing her own experience and spreading one message, ‘put yourself out there and give it 110 per cent’.
“I know we have a group chat even this year and I already answered some questions they had. Just being there for absolutely anything they need, any advice or just being excited for them because they might be nervous right now,” said Focht.
The rodeo queen added that oftentimes, people do not understand the entirety of queen competitions and label it as a beauty pageant.
“I think it’s super important that it’s not just the way you look; you are representing all of the rodeo and how you and your horse can do different tasks,” she said.
Over the years, the horsemanship component of the competition has become increasingly more difficult. This includes how the contestants ride their horse, look while they ride, and how they treat their animal.
“It is different every single year, and you get that pattern the morning of about an hour before. So, I think that really tests your ability to remember and be calm under pressure, which I think can benefit anybody in any situation,” she said.
Moving forward, Focht hopes to run for Miss Agribition and then Miss Rodeo Canada to continue her rodeo queen journey.
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Alyssa.rudolph@pattisonmedia.com
