Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1152194
LINCOLN — Karson Sampley made his debut live on the town square winning the 2018 Lincoln Riding Club Little Mister contest and came out riding a stick horse. The stick horse was part of the payoff, which also included a buckle and Karson soon put both to good use leading the stickhorse grand entry each night of the 65th annual Lincoln Rodeo in 2018. A year later, he is ready to hand off those duties to somebody else. Karson is the 6-year-old son of Ronnie and Sara Sampley, of Lincoln. Karson attends pre-school at Kids Unlimited Learning Acad- emy. Karson didn't wait to grow up to become a live- stock owner. Among his endeavors was the acqui- sition of a bull calf named Mr. Fugley, An active boy, Karson loves all things sports. He plays soccer, baseball and basketball. When not playing sports he loves to play with and ride his bull calf, Mr. Fugley. Karson also loves to run backhoes and the side-by- side on the farm. When he grows up Karson wants to ride bulls and work on back- hoes. In addition, Karson is a member of the Cove Creek Clever Clovers 4-H and is getting ready to start Hippotherapy. This year's Little Mister and Little Miss contest will start off at 7 p.m. Wednes- day, Aug. 7, in front of the bandstand set up for the street dance on the Lincoln Square. The contest will be followed by the street dance which will be held from 8- 11 p.m. The 2019 Lincoln Rodeo is Thursday, Aug. 8, through Saturday, Aug. 10, at the Lincoln Riding Club Arena. Wednesday, August 7, 2019 Enterprise-Leader 7B R o d e o This ad is not considered a voucher/coupon. For more information to sign up or to advertise, go to nwadealpiggy.com. CHECK OUT SOME OTHER GREAT DEALS SAVE UP TO 90%! 2 OPTIONS STARTING AT $145 DEAL PIGGY PRICE: $7.50 SAVINGS OF 50% 2 OPTIONS STARTING AT $10 2 OPTIONS STARTING AT $212 WELSPUN IS HIRING IN LITTLE ROCK! We are one of the largest welded pipe producers in the world, offering competitive pay & excellent benefi ts! Looking for: Industrial Electricians | Maint Supervisors (Elec & Mech) Shift Supervisor | General Supervisor | Tooling Engineer Submit resume to usajobs@welspun.com or fax to 501-490-0662. Please include position of interest in subject line. Welspun Tubular is an EOE. Industrial Electricians I Mechanical Millwrights Submit resume to usajobs@welspun.com or apply in person @ 9301 Frazier Pike, Little Rock Quality Inspectors Little Miss Emma Parker Takes A Bow LINCOLN — Siblings occa- sionally compete simultane- ously in separate categories, but rarely wind up escort- ing each other during the Lincoln Riding Club Rodeo royalty pageant, Things nearly changed in 2017. Instead, what happened became a story of persever- ance Ethan Parker threw his hat in the ring and won the 2017 LRC title of Little Mister while his sister Emma Parker also entered the competition as a candidate for LRC Little Miss. Emma, then 4, was among candidates, who had to wait for next year. Had she won Ethan would have had his sister for an escort. Ethan and Emma's parents are Bryce and Jessie Parker, of Farmington. After the 2017 Lincoln Rodeo another brother, Mason, was born into rodeo adding one more personality to the Parker household. One of the foundations of rodeo mandates over- coming disappointment by coming back strong in the next go-round, and Emma remained true to the tradi- tion of the sport. When cowboys get bucked off, they get back on. Emma didn't get hung up on her placing, comparing herself to brother's triumph in 2017. The birth of baby brother, Mason, expanded Emma's worldview. She has a few other things going as well. Emma is a member of the Cove Creek Clever Clovers 4-H Club. She enjoys rais- ing and showing pigs from her Pa's farm. Last year she won Grand Champion Market Hog at the Washing- ton County Fair. Emma also loves tumbling and attends classes once a week. When Emma grows up she wants to be a teacher just like her Aunt Maegan. Ethan wrapped up his reign in 2018, while Emma clambered back into the LRC pageant for another go-round competing for the 2018 Little Miss crown and this time she won. Now, 6-year-old Emma readies herself to relinquish her crown. This year's Little Mister and Little Miss contest will start off at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7, in front of the band- stand set up for the street dance on the Lincoln Square. By Mark Humphrey ENTERPRISE-LEADER Submitted photo Emma Parker, 6-year- old daughter of bryce and Jessie parker, of Farmington, won the 2018 Lincoln Riding Club Little miss title. emma completed Kindergarten at bob Folsom elementary in the spring. She has two brothers, ethan and mason. Submitted photo Karson Sampley, 6-year- old son of Ronnie and Sara Sampley, of Lincoln, won the 2018 Lincoln Riding Club Little mister title. Little Mister Rides A Stickhorse By Mark Humphrey ENTERPRISE-LEADER Judy Gail believes all dreams and inspirations are attainable and that propels her. The Westville, Okla., cowgirl pursued and won the 2018 Lincoln Riding Club junior queen crown. She thinks winning the pageant enabled her to demonstrate one of her core values, and as a bonus she's been privileged to promote the sport she loves called rodeo. Judy Gail, as she is known, is the 15-year-old daughter of Roy and Stacy Johnson and Rob McNeely, of West- ville, Okla. Judy Gail will be a sophomore at Westville High School this fall. Judy Gail is proud to call Westville, Okla., her home- town. After high school, she wants to attend Okla- homa State University to obtain a degree in Agricul- tural Communications and continue to be part of rodeo. Judy Gail loves animals and hopes to one day become a veterinary physician. She fell in love with horses after her first ride at the age of four. Horses are a big part of Judy Gail's life and the love of the arena led her to purchase her horse Dixie, which she describes as "a southern beauty from the great state of Texas." Whether from the stands or the arena, Judy Gail truly loves the atmosphere of the rodeo. Winning the Lincoln Riding Club junior queen crown shows that a cowgirl's ambi- tions can be achieved. She feels those involved in rodeo benefit from the exchange of experience when putting forth the effort to be a part of the sport. Serving as the LRC junior queen has been an honor and a dream come true for Judy Gail. Wearing the sash and representing LRC enabled her to do something she feels truly matters and keep the western heritage alive besides allowing her to give back what rodeo has so generously given. Through the experience of her one-year reign Judy Gail hoped to receive knowledge, growth, and lasting relation- ships that will benefit her a lifetime. She's still working on that right up until she hands her crown off to the 2019 LRC junior queen on Satur- day night. Continued froM page 1B Junior: Still Working To Learn, Grow participate in a rodeo queen contest and she felt privileged to get to do that at Lincoln. Since winning the title of Miss Lincoln Rodeo she postured herself as a positive role model seeking to inspire people to be the best version of themselves and to be confi- dent in who God blessed them to be. For Kylee, being a rodeo queen is far more than smil- ing for cameras and waving in parades. She says the buckles will tarnish, and the sashes will fade, but the impact a queen makes can last forever. Kylee's hope is that shar- ing her experiences and living her life as an example to others will leave a lasting impact on those who haved crossed her path during her reign and beyond. Continued froM page 1B Queen: Living Life As An Example To Others 'Ghost Riders' In The Arena LINCOLN — Precision drill teams performing on horse- back during rodeos encoun- ter difficulties maintaining proper spacing when one of their number is either absent or takes a fall out of the saddle. T h e R e g u l a t o r s , a n offshoot of the Lincoln Riding Club, have success- fully dealt with both scenar- ios over their six year history. Hannah Huffaker, one of three co-founders along with Marlana Edgmon and Megan Anderson, who formed the Regulators in June of 2013, proclaimed enthusiasm as the group commemo- rates six years of successful performances. "Going into our sixth year as a team is such a bless- ing," Huffaker said. "I could not be more proud of the team that we lead. Me and my fatty horse, Bullet, have had the privilege of leading this team through so much. He's definitely not the best horse on the team, but he gives me his whole heart in the arena." Huffaker once took a spill during a performance, which potentially created spacing issues, but her horse made up the difference. She marveled at Bullet's disci- pline. "He did half the drill with no rider and never left his spot until the line came to a stop and I could get back on," Huffaker said. "He's the best partner a girl could ask for in the arena. He's never been what one would call thin, even in the heat of the summer and being rode hard. But my pretty dun sure makes me look good. I'm looking forward to year six with this team. We've worked so hard for this." According to Edgmon, the Regulators strive to be role models for little cowboys and cowgirls. They enjoy getting the crowd involved and meeting and greet- ing people at the rodeo or parades. "It's what makes what we do so much fun," Edgmon said. The Regulators have been billed as "some of the most amazing horse women in the world." They think of themselves in terms of a family and believe that was proven more this past year than ever before. At at least 85 percent of the rodeos the Regulators performed in they experienced a "ghost rider." For those who have never heard the term, "ghost rider" means there is an empty space due to a rider missing and the rest of the cowgirls have to keep that space open or it completely throws off the drill. For those, who think that sounds easy, the Regulators are quick to say, "No, this is one of the hardest things to do when there are 11 other cowgirls in the arena." Adding to the degree of difficulty was the "ghost rider" never represented the same cowgirl absent, so at each rodeo the group was forced to adjust to meet a different spacing whether compensating for a horse that set the pace or one in the middle. The Regulators involve t h e m s e lve s w i t h i n t h e co m m u n i ty. Th ey h ave worked with the staff of the Courage Therapeutic Riding Center, a 501 c (3) non-profit organization located in Prai- rie Grove, in getting young r i d e rs a cq u a i n te d w i t h horseback rides during clin- ics. T h e f o u n d e r s h a v e seen their dream through performing as a precision drill team to empower LRC, which hosts the annual Lincoln Rodeo, to showcase its members' horsemanship skills. The parent organi- zation was receptive to the idea from the start, and in June, 2014, the Regulators performed for the first time at the Lincoln Rodeo. The initiative has been well received within the community with sponsors of all kinds supporting the effort. T h i s t e a m 's o n g o i n g vision is to go above and beyond what is expected during their performances and uphold not only the Regulator reputation but also represent the Lincoln Riding Club brand to the best of their ability. NO QUIT IN COWGIRLS OR MOUNTS FOR DRILL TEAM Logo courtesy of Lincoln Riding Club Regulators precision drill team. By Mark Humphrey ENTERPRISE-LEADER