Cowboy Christmas Auction Raises Record Amount

Following breakfast and the final speech session and lunch at the Rio Hotel sponsored by the Cheyenne Frontier Days Committee, contestants traveled to the annual Cowboy Christmas at the Las Vegas Convention Center.  Each brought a state-themed item to auction for the Miss Rodeo America Scholarship Foundation Fund.

To start off the event previous titleholders Shelly Williams, Mary Shaw, and Brandy Dejongh showcased a case of commemorative 50th Anniversary Wine.  Auctioneers Rodney Bergkamp of Abbyville, KS and Joni Nash, Miss Rodeo Georgia '01 started the bidding.  Following her reign Joni used her Miss Rodeo America Congeniality Award scholarship to attend auctioneering school and is currently attending college in Oklahoma.

A record amount of money as raised through the auction.  $19,000 was added to the Foundation fund, with additional items being donated by Cowboy Christmas vendors and others in order to meet the record amount.  The highest selling item was brought by Amy Jo Hubbard, Miss Rodeo Wyoming, and was an autographed guitar, CD, and photo from Wyoming performing artist Chris LeDoux.  The winning bid came in at $2,300.

Following the auction contestants and their families enjoyed browsing and shopping at Cowboy Christmas.  Contestants then had dinner sponsored by the Miss Rodeo Nebraska Pageant and attended the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo compliments of Las Vegas Events, Inc.