Tryon teen Miss Rodeo Buffalo County

By RICK BROWN, Hub Staff Writer 08/07/2007

KEARNEY – Tayler Puttergill, 17, of Tryon was named Miss Rodeo Buffalo County during a competition Friday at the Buffalo County Fair.

“I was surprised to win,” Puttergill said. “There was a lot of good competition.”

Puttergill is the daughter of Greg and BJ Puttergill. She attends Mullen Public Schools.

The contestants were judged in three areas: horsemanship, appearance/personality and public speaking. The contest was open to girls across the state of Nebraska ages 16 through 22.

“In the area of horsemanship, they were judged in two patterns,” said Danie Hilton, a member of the Miss Rodeo Buffalo County committee.

One was a set pattern on her own horse and one was a pattern using the horse of another contestant. They were also asked a series of horsemanship questions.

“A rodeo queen is a personal relations person for the rodeo,” Hilton said. “Tayler will go around the state of Nebraska representing the Buffalo County Fair and rodeo letting people know it?s out there.”

Winning the horsemanship competition came easily to Puttergill.

“I?ve been riding since I was 4 years old,” she said.

Puttergill said her duties will include presenting herself at a few rodeos throughout Nebraska.

She will also be eligible to compete in the Nebraska Teen Pageant.

Other contestants were Anna Moorhead, 20, of Ogallala; Amanda Pflasterer, 19, of Grand Island; and Amanda Yendra, 16, of Gibbon.