Rodeo Queens

Dedicated rodeo royalty used Miss Rodeo SDSU to pursue goals

Whether a bull rider or a rodeo queen, those who climb above the crowd are branded in their soul with dedication.

That is certainly the case for Victoria (French) Blatchford ’96 and Tara Trask ’08, two of several SDSU students to serve as Miss Rodeo SDSU en route to

On a brisk winter day, Victoria (French) Blatchford, right, attends to her horse, Red Man, with her daughter, Carolyn, 15, at their stables, Six Mile Creek Acres, on the north edge of Brookings. The former Miss Rodeo South Dakota stays connected with the sport through barrel racing and her daughter, who has pursued royalty as well as goat tying and breakaway roping.

becoming Miss Rodeo South Dakota. Both nearly became Miss Rodeo America, Blatchford finishing as first runner-up in 1995 and Trask finishing as second runner-up in 2008.

By the time the West River natives enrolled at State, they were well on their way to reaching their goal of becoming Miss Rodeo South Dakota.

Blatchford served as Miss Southwest 4-H Rodeo in 1990, winning the title in Hermosa, not far from her hometown of Oelrichs, as a high school junior. Though terribly shy as a youngster, Blatchford began to dream of becoming Miss Rodeo South Dakota in 1985 when she saw Miss Rodeo America riding in a parade in her hometown.

It was Belle Fourche’s Leslie (Patten) White, who had been 1984 Miss Rodeo South Dakota. She made a striking appearance with her beautiful golden hair and golden-sequined blouse. “I wanted to do that,” Blatchford remembers thinking.

She already had good horse skills, but she didn’t project herself as a queen. In fact, she was shy as a kitten visiting a doghouse. Her shyness kept her from entering a queen contest for five years. Finally, in 1990 she entered the Hermosa contest and the blossom of confidence started opening.

Trask was only 7 when she became infatuated with the idea of becoming a rodeo queen and the idea never left her head.

At age 12, on her third try, she became Miss Wall Princess. “I was hooked after that. It began a 15-year journey.” In 2001, at age 15, she was Miss High School

Rodeo South Dakota. She would earn that honor again the next two years, becoming the only three-time winner.

Directing Jackrabbit Stampede

Victoria (French) Blatchford

Blatchford enrolled at State as a sophomore. She spent three years helping direct the Jackrabbit Stampede, twice as manager and once as assistant manager. She had competed in rodeo in her younger days, but didn’t at college. She did go out of her way to learn rodeo lingo and events to be better prepared for queen contestant interviews and to connect with rodeo.

She can still tell you what hoolihans and piggin’ strings are and explain what it really means to measure a rein.

Blatchford consulted with the SDSU speech department and did mock interviews on world affairs and South Dakota history, and talked about the economics of cattle ranching with the animal science department.

At the end of April for several years, Blatchford would go to the ranch of stock contractor Jim Korkow near Blunt to help at its annual rodeo school to learn rough stock events.

“There’s nothing like gathering rough stock (bulls and horses) off the buttes and draws of the Missouri River breaks,” she says from her downtown office, where she is bank president and senior business relationship manager for Wells Fargo in Brookings. From the light in her eyes to the patterns of sunset red, orange and aqua in her coat dress, one can tell Blatchford’s passion gallops West River.

Reflecting on her preparation to be rodeo queen, Blatchford said, “I didn’t want to just be another pretty hat in the arena.”

Tara Trask

Trask, in her freshman year at SDSU, became Miss Rodeo SDSU 2005 followed by Miss Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo in 2007 and winning the Miss Rodeo South Dakota pageant in July 2007. After six months as lady-in-waiting, her reign began in January 2008.

“When I became Miss Rodeo South Dakota, I knew exactly what was expected of me because had been Miss High School Rodeo,” Trask said.

Sacrificing for the goal

Both women will tell you that achieving goals don’t come without making sacrifices.

Blatchford turned down friends’ invitations to go out for the evening because she was saving money for a special pair of boots, travel money or just the right western dress.

Trask said her high school years were “a very focused time. I didn’t live a very average high school life. I was very focused and determined. I knew what it took to be great at a national level.

“At 6 a.m. my dad would be hauling me out to the Wall Arena for reining practice. There are set horsemanship patterns. You have to do pivots on a horse, lead changes. At that stage, you needed to perform it effortless. My horse, we were a team. I had to make sure we were both in top shape for whatever was asked of us.”

There then was speech writing and studying.

“It’s not like your average Miss USA. You have to know rulebooks, lingo, current events. I shadowed a veterinarian. It was pretty intense, but that’s how much I wanted it,” Trask said.

Memories from national finals

The intensity that carried Trask to be the fourth Wall resident to become Miss Rodeo South Dakota fueled her drive to be the first Miss Rodeo America from South Dakota since Leslie (Patten) White in 1985. She called on Blatchford to mentor her.

Tara Trask poses outside the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas. The former Miss Rodeo South Dakota, who is now public programming director at the museum, says “Texas has my heart, but South Dakota has my soul.”

Her bid for Miss Rodeo America in December 2008 coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “That was really cool. That whole pageant experience was the moment I had prepared 15 years for. I look back on the moment with gratitude,” she reminisces.

She left Las Vegas Dec. 7 as second runner-up with no crown and no regrets.

Life without the crown

Trask earned her speech communications degree in May 2008. She began a master’s degree in journalism (public relations emphasis) in 2009 and completed the online degree in August 2011. Her thesis: “Social Media, Public Relations and Sponsorships for Professional Rodeo Cowboys.”

Trask held several short-term positions in public relations and rodeo promotions before landing a job as the public programming director for the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas.

She said she has made a smooth transition from the cattle trails in eastern Pennington County to the freeways in the Metroplex. “I definitely miss South Dakota. Texas has my heart, but South Dakota has my soul. This is a good fit for me right now,” she said.

Blatchford, who began her banking career in the Black Hills town of Hot Springs, says the same thing about Brookings, where she has been extensively involved in civic groups, including a term as president of the Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce.

She and her husband, John, whom she met in Hot Springs, are raising two children on an acreage at the north edge of Brookings, where they also have boarding stables.

Carolyn, 15, won her first senior 4-H rodeo queen title in 2015 and is learning goat tying and  breakaway roping. Son J.J., 10, is leisure riding. For the last 10 years, Blatchford has been a competitive barrel racer.

Blatchford said, “Rodeo is a great family activity. Rodeo teaches responsibility and horse care. You’re practicing countless hours. It all takes a lot of time. It’s really a good thing to teach life skills.”

Not the least of which is dedication.

Dave Graves