Dec. 31 is the last day applications will be accepted for the 2020 Lost Dutchman Days Rodeo Royalty Pageant.

The pageant is held annually to select three young ladies to fulfill the titles of queen, senior teen queen and junior teen queen to serve as a representative for Lost Dutchman Days Rodeo Committee for a year.

Lost Dutchman Days Rodeo queens promote Lost Dutchman Days throughout Arizona by attending Superstition Mountain Promotional Corp. sanctioned events as well as visiting rodeos and pageants across the state, according to the royalty court application.

“They are responsible for carrying the title proudly and fulfilling duties assigned by the Lost Dutchman Days Rodeo Royalty Committee to the best of their ability,” it states.

Applications at lostdutchmandays.org/lost-dutchman-days-royalty must be filled out and e-mailed to Heidi Erickson, the Lost Dutchman Days royalty director, at misslostduchmandays@yahoo.com. E-mail her or call her at 480-603-6819 with any questions.

Each year the Lost Dutchman Days Committee provides a college scholarship award for the woman who wins the Lost Dutchman Days Rodeo queen contest. The 2020 LDD queen will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship that is collectable annually, up to four years, at the accredited college, university or trade school of her choice. This award will be made available for tuitions or books associated with the enrollment, according to the 2020 queen packet.

The pageant will be held Jan. 4, 2020.

There are three age categories for the contestants:

• Queen contestants must not be less than 18 years of age or more than 26 years of age as of the first day of the competition (Jan. 4, 2020).
• Senior teen queen contestants must not be less than 14 years of age or more than 17 years of age as of the first day of the competition.
• Junior teen queen contestants must not be less than 10 years of age or more than 13 years of age as of the first day of the competition.

Horsemanship, a speech and modeling are judged during the pageant, according to the queen packet.

“All contestants will be required to compete in horsemanship including a set pattern, pushing cattle, flag run and presentation run (hot lap),” according to the application.

There will be a minimum horsemanship score to qualify to hold an LDD queen title, it states.
“There will be one pattern for junior teen competitors and a separate pattern for senior teen and queen competitors… Horsemanship attire will be rodeo queen attire,” according to the application.

The 2020 Court will remain “in waiting” until the 2019 LDD royalty steps down at the crowning ceremony at the 2020 LDD Sunday Pre-Rodeo ceremony. At that time, the queens will be presented as the 2020 Royalty Court and they will be so introduced and do presentation runs at the Sunday Rodeo Performance as well as push cattle and run sponsor flags at the conclusion of each event.

[Related link: yourvalley.net/apache-junction-independent/stories/paris-carlyon-selected-2019-lost-dutchman-days-rodeo-queen,106240?]