The West Texas Fair and Rodeo kicks off next week, but for some competitors, the rodeo has already begun. Merkel High School Junior Allison Fikes will be competing in the Rodeo Queen Scholarship Pageant after months of preparation. She says she looked up to rodeo queens as a child but did not think about entering until her FFA advisor suggested it. Fikes encourages others to join in the future, " If you're thinking about it, just do it. You know, you’re never going to know what’s going to happen until you just jump in and do it.”
In the midst of creating a speech, finding the perfect runway outfits and training for the horsemanship portion, Fikes' horse became injured. She was able to borrow a horse just last week and says she is excited to compete with her partner Laser. The Rodeo Queen contest starts tonight with the horsemanship portion and will continue Saturday.