By STEPHANIE BUNKER
Moapa Valley Progress
Logandale youth, Graceann Erickson, daughter of Randy and Stacy Erickson, was crowned the Great American Stampede Rodeo Princess earlier this month in Cedar City, Utah. For this title she was awarded a crown, sash, and a new saddle.
Erickson will have the honor of representing the Great American Stampede Rodeo Princess title at the Southern Utah University Rodeo on September 8 -9. There she will be helping the kids with the mutton bustin, push roping stock to the end of the arena and of course ride around the arena with a big smile and wave at the beginning of the rodeo. Erickson will also attend rodeos in Iron County, Gunlock, Enterprise, and Parowan throughout the course of her reining year. She will also participate in a number of parades and visit with the crowds when she can.
This isn’t Erickson’s first experience with the Great American Stampede Royalty Contest. Last year she tried out for it and was placed as a first attendant to the Rodeo Princess.
“I wanted to be a part of it again because it was one of the funnest rodeo’s I’ve been to,” Erickson said.
According to her mother Stacy, Graceann was also ecstatic to win the saddle. “I’m not sure it will ever get on a horse, it might just stay in her room,” joked Stacy.
Graceann also said that she has gained a lot of confidence through the contest. “I’m not one to put myself out there but once I put on the hat and buckle it’s like I’m a different person,” she said. “I can stand out there on stage and give my 2 minute speech without a problem.”
Erickson competed against 2 other girls for the Princess title and did very well in most of the categories. She won modeling, speech, interview with the judges, and impromptu, only coming up short in two categories: horsemanship and photogenic.
She explained that the impromptu is to let the girl’s personality show through. The contestants are on stage and asked two questions that the contestant must answer off the top of her head.
Graceann moved here with her family about two years ago from Las Vegas and enjoys participating in reining shows and barrel racing at the local gymkhanas.
