Eden Wood, 2019 Sweetheart Miss Rodeo Palm Beach County, and Jessica Bryant, 2019 Miss Teen Rodeo Palm Beach County, will compete at the upcoming Miss Rodeo Florida pageant.
Wood is the 8-year-old daughter of Stephanie and Tony Wood. She is a student at Golden Grove Elementary School and loves to swim, draw and read. She is a member of the Rockin Clovers 4-H group and a member of the Rockin 3C Performance Horses Horse Show team and competes at the Palm Beach County Mounted Posse.
“While I did not ride my first horse until after I held my first Miss West Fest title, I have always loved all animals, and once I rode my first horse, I knew I needed more of the barn life,” Wood said. “I would like to hold the Miss Rodeo Florida Sweetheart title so I can talk to everyone about the excitement of rodeos and the western way of life. I also want to be a role model to little girls. I have had the best big queen and barn sisters, and I want to be just like them.”
Bryant is the 14-year-old daughter of Nancy Coggin Bryant and Pat Bryant. She is a student at Seminole Ridge High School and enjoys anything medical-related and anything horse-related. Bryant is a member of the Rockin Clovers 4-H group and a member of the Rockin 3C Performance Horses Horse Show team and also competes at the Palm Beach County Mounted Posse.
“While I did not grow up in a ranching or rodeo family, this sport has helped me grow,” she said. “Six years ago, I began riding lessons as a shy, timid girl, and all I knew was that I wanted to be around horses. I didn’t talk much, but I made sure to take everything in and learn as much as I could. I even earned the nickname ‘silent but deadly.’ I am thankful for meeting the first Rodeo Queens when I was eight years old, because that’s when I knew I was hooked on the western way of life. Watching them, I saw their grace, beauty and their ability to speak easily to others, and I knew that was what I would need to do. That year, I worked hard at what I had seen in those girls, and at nine years old, I won my first Rodeo Queen title. As Miss Teen Rodeo Florida, I would love to continue to share my knowledge of the sport and activities that have helped make me who I am today.”
Miss Rodeo Florida will be held Sept. 6-8 in Osceola County. Held annually, the Miss Rodeo Florida Pageant is open to Florida girls wishing to promote the sport of rodeo.
All contestants compete in the areas of appearance, speech, modeling, impromptu questions, photogenic and interview. Contestants ages 15 and up (Miss and Teen) will also compete in horsemanship, horsemanship interview, the selling of a live auction item and a knowledge written test.
Rodeo Queens attend rodeos, parades, community events and speak to students in schools educating others about the sport of rodeo., the western way of life and agribusiness. Miss Rodeo Florida (ages 19 – 27) will represent Florida at the Miss Rodeo America Pageant in Las Vegas.
The Miss Rodeo Florida Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping young ladies build confidence and achieve dreams. For more information, contact Miss Rodeo Palm Beach County Director Chelsea Chilcutt at MissRodeoPBC@gmail.com or (561) 352-4225.
