Granger fourth grader crowned Miss West Texas Fair & Rodeo Jr. Miss 2021

After much hard work and determination, Granger Elementary fourth-grader Hayden Slagle has earned the title of Miss West Texas Fair & Rodeo Jr. Miss, becoming the inaugural recipient of the honor.

For Hayden, lots of time and effort goes into rodeo pageants. For the West Texas Fair & Rodeo, she even had to give a three-minute speech, which she only had two weeks to memorize.

Students and staff at Granger were excited to help Hayden prepare her speech. Her class participated in writing speeches with her, and she was able to practice her speech in front of her class. Michelle McAdams, principal of Granger, even let her practice her speech on the announcements. When the time came for her to give the speech at the pageant, “she nailed it,” said Taelor Slagle, Hayden’s mom.

For the West Texas Fair & Rodeo Pageant, Hayden also participated in a modeling portion and a dinner. “My favorite part was the modeling,” said Hayden. Her favorite outfit included “black jeans with pink sparkly fringe and diamond studs, and a fringy vest and a black silk shirt.”

Hayden has held other Rodeo Queen titles as well. In 2020, Hayden was named North Texas Fair and Rodeo Junior Princess. For that title, she was inducted at the Cowboy Hall of Fame and got to go on stage with country singer Aaron Watson.

While Junior Princess, Hayden also had the opportunity to go to the Miss Rodeo Texas Pageant for her 9th birthday. “That’s a really big deal,” Mrs. Slagle said. The Miss Rodeo Texas Pageant is a scholarship pageant held in San Antonio that contestants come from across the state to compete in. At the event, Hayden was able to meet Miss Rodeo Texas, Bobbi Loran, who is currently running for Miss Rodeo America.

Any time Hayden represents at a fair or rodeo, she must be dressed in “full queen,” including her hat, crown, shash, jeans, boots, and hair styled to perfection with wings. When running for a title, she’s judged from the minute she steps on the grounds till the minute they call out her name.

Participating in rodeo pageants has been life changing for Hayden. “In second grade, she was super shy and would not talk,” Mrs. Slagle said. Going through the process of learning and presenting a speech and being interviewed by judges really helped her come out of her shell.

“It’s not just a beauty contest. It teaches them how to speak, have eye contact, and how to interview,” Mrs. Slagle said.

“And to learn your manners,” Hayden added.

This year, you can look for Hayden in the Fort Worth Stock Show Parade and this summer, she will have the chance to compete at Miss Rodeo Texas.

To learn more about the West Texas Fair & Rodeo Pageant, visit their website here.