Grimm to take the reins as Miss Rodeo Nebraska 2011

"Ridin', Ropin' N Royalty" -- that's the slogan that will define the reign of Miss Rodeo Nebraska 2011 Becky Grimm. She was crowned at a Nebraskaland Days Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte last June after winning the categories of speech, appearance, personality and horsemanship.Since then, she has been a lady-in-waiting- filling in at parades, rodeos and other events MRN 2010 Michelle Boeshart was unable to attend. Grimm will officially take over the MRN title and responsibilities at a coronation ceremony this weekend in Mitchell. It's a milestone she's spent a lifetime preparing for.
A true cowgirl, Grimm began riding horses before she could walk. When she was four, her grandfather gave her a bay, Welsh pony mare named Dynamite, the same horse her cousins also learned to ride on. Grimm would spend the next 18 years working cattle and helping with the daily operations of her family's ranch near Harrison. At age eight, she enrolled in 4-H and began showing horses and modeling at the Sioux County Fair. "Through 4-H I learned about dedication," she said. "The preparation work begins months before fair time. The animals have to be groomed and fed every day. You can't just pull them out of the pasture and haul them to the show. It taught me a lot about the responsibility and perseverance I will need this year." Because her grandfather was a bareback rider and her brother was a bull rider, Grimm has been immersed in rodeo for as long as she can remember. She learned how to rope by watching her cousins, and it became a hobby.
"I'm a visual learner, and being around rodeo for so long is an advantage I've had when competing in queen contests," she said. "The rodeo terms and facts are things I'm already familiar with."
By high school, she was also competing in rodeos in the areas of barrel racing, pole bending and goat tying. In 1999, she tried out for the Sioux County Junior Queen title, and in 2003 was crowned Nebraska High School Rodeo Queen. Three years later, she also claimed the crown for Old West Trail Rodeo Queen.
Grimm breaks and trains her own barrel horses, has been a frequent competitor in area jackpots and a member of the Mid-States Rodeo Association. She's a past president of the Chadron State College's Rodeo Club and former regional barrel racing director for the Central Rocky Mountain Region.
This year, Grimm will travel approximately 50,000 miles across 17 states promoting rodeo, Nebraska and the western lifestyle. The hectic schedule has put her education at CSC on hold, but she plans to eventually earn degrees in business administration and pre-nursing.
In November, she attended the Miss Rodeo America Pageant in Las Vegas, Nev., and watched Boeshart take third runner-up honors. Grimm said it was an eye-opening experience. "It was way more than I expected," she said. "I took a lot of notes and realized I have a lot of work ahead of me. Michelle has definitely set the bar high, but I'm confident in my abilities to do just as well. I'm really looking forward to all the sights I'll see and people I'll meet this year."
Grimm said tickets for the coronation are going fast, and more than 400 people are expected to attend. Money raised will be used to help fund her travel expenses.