Miss Rodeo America 2023

By Patrick Everson

The Miss Rodeo America Pageant is a high-stakes, high-pressure event for the 28 contestants here in Las Vegas, all hoping to go home with the prestigious crown. Sometimes, these young ladies just need a release valve for that pressure.

And that valve can come in the most unusual ways. Like, say, Scotchgard.

Allow me to explain. Kennadee Riggs, representing the Grand Canyon State as Miss Rodeo Arizona, was a roommate all last week to Jamee Middagh, the reigning Miss Rodeo New Mexico. The two are good friends, which certainly helps when you’re in such a pressure-packed environment.

Riggs – who went on to win the Miss Rodeo America crown Sunday – takes the story from there.

“Jamee was spraying her outfits with Scotchgard, so that they’d stay clean. But the Scotchgard was also getting on the floor of our hotel room,” Riggs said.

Anyone familiar with Scotchgard knows that, while it helps keep clothes from attracting dirt or lint, it can also create slick surfaces.

“We were racing back to our hotel room one night, and we ran into the room, and both of us slipped on the Scotchgard and fell on the ground,” Riggs said. “Neither of us got hurt. We just laughed and laughed. It was hilarious and really lifted our spirits on a heavy day.”

Riggs said all the contestants did whatever they could to lighten the mood in this competitive pageant. There was no shortage of TikTok videos and other pressure-relieving antics, as these young adults harkened back to their childhood just a little bit, in the short moments around the seriousness of the Miss Rodeo America Pageant.

“It helps to act like a little kid a little bit,” Riggs said. “Laughter really is the best medicine.”