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Montana: Lorissa Harris claims Miss Rodeo 2011 title; Amy Hager named Miss Teen Rodeo

Lorissa Harris, the 21-year-old daughter of Andy and Linda Rest of Billings, MT, and Todd Harris of California, was named Miss Rodeo Montana 2011 on Sunday morning, Jan. 16, culminating a four-day pageant. Emcee Barney Sheridan kept the packed house at the Great Falls Hampton Inn on the edge of their seats as the winners were announced.

Harris made a clean sweep of all categories of the Pageant, including Personality, Appearance, Horsemanship, and Projection & Presentation. She also won the Queen Speech Award. First Runner-up to the title was Kyleigh Plant, daughter of Tom and Kristi Plant of Miles City. Plant was named “Miss Congeniality” by her peers at the Pageant.

Harris is not a stranger to state rodeo queen titles, as she served as Miss Teen Rodeo Montana in 2007. She is the second Miss Teen Rodeo Montana to go on to achieve the title of Miss Rodeo Montana.



A total of eight contestants in both the Queen and Teen competition competed in a rigorous competition demonstrating their horseback riding skills; giving a two-minute speech about Montana, modeling in a Style Show, answering impromptu questions, being quizzed on their knowledge of horsemanship and rodeo, and being interviewed privately by the judges. Judges for the contest were Tom Robitaille of Great Falls, MT; Candy Gratton of Poulsbo, WA; and Aaron Boehm of Rudyard, MT.

Harris succeeds Jourdon Han of Rudyard, MT, who will be finishing her nursing degree at Montana Tech in Butte and become a fourth-generation nurse. Han’s goal is to become a midwife and she currently holds a Certified Nursing Assistant Certificate. At the Coronation, Han was presented with a $2,000 scholarship from the Montana Pro Rodeo Hall & Wall of Fame, as well as a $750 scholarship from the Miss Rodeo Montana Scholarship Foundation. She also received a $1,000 scholarship from the Miss Rodeo America Scholarship Foundation for winning the Scrapbook Award at the Miss Rodeo America Pageant.



Miss Rodeo Montana is a goodwill ambassador for Montana and the sport of Professional Rodeo in Montana. She will start traveling immediately throughout the State and to other states and Canada to promote Montana’s Rodeos. In addition to appearing in rodeos and fairs, she will speak to schools and organizational groups and appear at community events throughout Montana, and in December she will travel to Las Vegas, NV, to compete for the title of Miss Rodeo America. Harris will receive gifts, prizes and scholarships totaling more than $5,000 along with appearance fees throughout the year. Her major fundraiser will be a coronation ball in her hometown this spring.

Some of her awards include a Fur Vest from the Montana Trappers Association, a gas card from Noon’s Food Stores, a trophy belt buckle, silver-trimmed briefcase from Iverson Custom Leather, a trophy saddle, custom hat crafted especially for Miss Rodeo Montana by Double H Hats, wardrobe of jewelry from Montana Silversmiths, a Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit Jacket, autograph sheets and her entry fees paid into the Miss Rodeo America Pageant.

Harris is a 2007 graduate of Shepherd High School and currently attends MSU-Billings where she is majoring in Psychology. She is currently employed at the Billings Clinic on the Inpatient Cancer Care Floor as a CAN and her goal is to continue working with cancer patients as an Oncology Psychologist. She enjoys spinning, rodeo, golf, tennis, and showing reining and working cow horses. She served as Miss Rodeo State Fair 2004-2005; Miss Dillon Jaycee Princess 2004-2005, Montana Angus Princess 2003-2004; Montana Angus Queen 2004-2005; and Miss Teen Rodeo Montana in 2007.

Lorissa Harris, the 21-year-old daughter of Andy and Linda Rest of Billings, MT, and Todd Harris of California, was named Miss Rodeo Montana 2011 on Sunday morning, Jan. 16, culminating a four-day pageant. Emcee Barney Sheridan kept the packed house at the Great Falls Hampton Inn on the edge of their seats as the winners were announced.

Harris made a clean sweep of all categories of the Pageant, including Personality, Appearance, Horsemanship, and Projection & Presentation. She also won the Queen Speech Award. First Runner-up to the title was Kyleigh Plant, daughter of Tom and Kristi Plant of Miles City. Plant was named “Miss Congeniality” by her peers at the Pageant.

Harris is not a stranger to state rodeo queen titles, as she served as Miss Teen Rodeo Montana in 2007. She is the second Miss Teen Rodeo Montana to go on to achieve the title of Miss Rodeo Montana.

A total of eight contestants in both the Queen and Teen competition competed in a rigorous competition demonstrating their horseback riding skills; giving a two-minute speech about Montana, modeling in a Style Show, answering impromptu questions, being quizzed on their knowledge of horsemanship and rodeo, and being interviewed privately by the judges. Judges for the contest were Tom Robitaille of Great Falls, MT; Candy Gratton of Poulsbo, WA; and Aaron Boehm of Rudyard, MT.

Harris succeeds Jourdon Han of Rudyard, MT, who will be finishing her nursing degree at Montana Tech in Butte and become a fourth-generation nurse. Han’s goal is to become a midwife and she currently holds a Certified Nursing Assistant Certificate. At the Coronation, Han was presented with a $2,000 scholarship from the Montana Pro Rodeo Hall & Wall of Fame, as well as a $750 scholarship from the Miss Rodeo Montana Scholarship Foundation. She also received a $1,000 scholarship from the Miss Rodeo America Scholarship Foundation for winning the Scrapbook Award at the Miss Rodeo America Pageant.

Miss Rodeo Montana is a goodwill ambassador for Montana and the sport of Professional Rodeo in Montana. She will start traveling immediately throughout the State and to other states and Canada to promote Montana’s Rodeos. In addition to appearing in rodeos and fairs, she will speak to schools and organizational groups and appear at community events throughout Montana, and in December she will travel to Las Vegas, NV, to compete for the title of Miss Rodeo America. Harris will receive gifts, prizes and scholarships totaling more than $5,000 along with appearance fees throughout the year. Her major fundraiser will be a coronation ball in her hometown this spring.

Some of her awards include a Fur Vest from the Montana Trappers Association, a gas card from Noon’s Food Stores, a trophy belt buckle, silver-trimmed briefcase from Iverson Custom Leather, a trophy saddle, custom hat crafted especially for Miss Rodeo Montana by Double H Hats, wardrobe of jewelry from Montana Silversmiths, a Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit Jacket, autograph sheets and her entry fees paid into the Miss Rodeo America Pageant.

Harris is a 2007 graduate of Shepherd High School and currently attends MSU-Billings where she is majoring in Psychology. She is currently employed at the Billings Clinic on the Inpatient Cancer Care Floor as a CAN and her goal is to continue working with cancer patients as an Oncology Psychologist. She enjoys spinning, rodeo, golf, tennis, and showing reining and working cow horses. She served as Miss Rodeo State Fair 2004-2005; Miss Dillon Jaycee Princess 2004-2005, Montana Angus Princess 2003-2004; Montana Angus Queen 2004-2005; and Miss Teen Rodeo Montana in 2007.

Lorissa Harris, the 21-year-old daughter of Andy and Linda Rest of Billings, MT, and Todd Harris of California, was named Miss Rodeo Montana 2011 on Sunday morning, Jan. 16, culminating a four-day pageant. Emcee Barney Sheridan kept the packed house at the Great Falls Hampton Inn on the edge of their seats as the winners were announced.

Harris made a clean sweep of all categories of the Pageant, including Personality, Appearance, Horsemanship, and Projection & Presentation. She also won the Queen Speech Award. First Runner-up to the title was Kyleigh Plant, daughter of Tom and Kristi Plant of Miles City. Plant was named “Miss Congeniality” by her peers at the Pageant.

Harris is not a stranger to state rodeo queen titles, as she served as Miss Teen Rodeo Montana in 2007. She is the second Miss Teen Rodeo Montana to go on to achieve the title of Miss Rodeo Montana.

A total of eight contestants in both the Queen and Teen competition competed in a rigorous competition demonstrating their horseback riding skills; giving a two-minute speech about Montana, modeling in a Style Show, answering impromptu questions, being quizzed on their knowledge of horsemanship and rodeo, and being interviewed privately by the judges. Judges for the contest were Tom Robitaille of Great Falls, MT; Candy Gratton of Poulsbo, WA; and Aaron Boehm of Rudyard, MT.

Harris succeeds Jourdon Han of Rudyard, MT, who will be finishing her nursing degree at Montana Tech in Butte and become a fourth-generation nurse. Han’s goal is to become a midwife and she currently holds a Certified Nursing Assistant Certificate. At the Coronation, Han was presented with a $2,000 scholarship from the Montana Pro Rodeo Hall & Wall of Fame, as well as a $750 scholarship from the Miss Rodeo Montana Scholarship Foundation. She also received a $1,000 scholarship from the Miss Rodeo America Scholarship Foundation for winning the Scrapbook Award at the Miss Rodeo America Pageant.

Miss Rodeo Montana is a goodwill ambassador for Montana and the sport of Professional Rodeo in Montana. She will start traveling immediately throughout the State and to other states and Canada to promote Montana’s Rodeos. In addition to appearing in rodeos and fairs, she will speak to schools and organizational groups and appear at community events throughout Montana, and in December she will travel to Las Vegas, NV, to compete for the title of Miss Rodeo America. Harris will receive gifts, prizes and scholarships totaling more than $5,000 along with appearance fees throughout the year. Her major fundraiser will be a coronation ball in her hometown this spring.

Some of her awards include a Fur Vest from the Montana Trappers Association, a gas card from Noon’s Food Stores, a trophy belt buckle, silver-trimmed briefcase from Iverson Custom Leather, a trophy saddle, custom hat crafted especially for Miss Rodeo Montana by Double H Hats, wardrobe of jewelry from Montana Silversmiths, a Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit Jacket, autograph sheets and her entry fees paid into the Miss Rodeo America Pageant.

Harris is a 2007 graduate of Shepherd High School and currently attends MSU-Billings where she is majoring in Psychology. She is currently employed at the Billings Clinic on the Inpatient Cancer Care Floor as a CAN and her goal is to continue working with cancer patients as an Oncology Psychologist. She enjoys spinning, rodeo, golf, tennis, and showing reining and working cow horses. She served as Miss Rodeo State Fair 2004-2005; Miss Dillon Jaycee Princess 2004-2005, Montana Angus Princess 2003-2004; Montana Angus Queen 2004-2005; and Miss Teen Rodeo Montana in 2007.