Mountain View County can be proud to say that for two years in a row, Miss Rodeo Canada has been chosen from the region.Gillian Shields of Didsbury received her crown from Arleta Bowhay of Sundre on Saturday, Nov. 10, after competing against two other finalists for the Miss Rodeo Canada (MRC) title.President of the MRC organization, Jocelyne Lambert, said she was happy she wasn't one of the 20 judges on the panel.“As any competition goes, all three of the contestants were strong contenders, there's no doubt about it,” said Lambert. “I'm glad I wasn't the judge, because it would have been a very difficult task to try and come to an agreement.”She noted that the chances for two consecutive Miss Rodeo Canadas being chosen out of the same county are pretty minimal.“It's unusual, I think, that they both have been chosen from the Mountain View County region, considering we do have contenders that come from further south of (Didsbury) right up to Grande Prairie and such, so it's definitely unusual that we've got two back-to-back queens that are from the region,” she said.Shields, now Miss Rodeo Canada 2013, was still in shock last week after receiving the title.“I had no idea how it was going to go down,” said Shields. “I was shaking, I was nervous. Honestly it still has not sunk in.”She said when she heard her name called out she was in absolute shock. She received her new crown and rode around the arena on her horse one more time.“I got on my horse and I was in a daze. It just happened so fast. It still hasn't really hit me...we're talking about all this stuff and I'm thinking ‘Seriously? Is this real?'”Involved in the sport of rodeo ever since she was a child, Shields said she is happy that she made it this far.She has been working towards this goal for the last five years and will be working harder than ever as she starts her tour around the world, attending rodeos as Canada's ambassador of the sport.“This is something that I've been working towards for a very long time, and to be able to say that all that hard work paid off and that I did it, it just goes to show that anything is possible. Anyone can do anything they really put their mind to.”For the next year, Shields will travel to over 400 events. Her next stop will be the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, taking place Dec. 6-15.“There's quite a few places that I'll get to go and experience this year that most people don't get the opportunity to go to. I'm honoured.”She noted that her family, as well as her coach, Jo Lawes, played a big role in getting her where she is now.“She has been a huge part of getting me here. She's supported me, helped me, and helped me be the best that I can be. She's like a sister to me and I just really appreciate everything she's done,” said Lawes.Lawes, who runs a rodeo royalty grooming company, Queenie Central, said she's proud of Shields and what she's accomplished.“It feels terrific. Gillian's been a very close friend and this has been a long journey the past five years working up to this point, and to see her accomplish her goals is very special to me.”Lawes, who once competed herself and was the runner-up for MRC in her year, said that this is a dream that she never achieved herself.“So to be able to see her experience something I was never able to means a lot to me. I think that she'll take it very seriously and I think that she'll do a good job.”Lawes noted she was able to watch the competition, though she wasn't able to coach the girls along.The first day of the competition, Shields was nervous and not really herself, but as the competition went on, Lawes said that her personality really began to show.“She was off her game for a bit. But she just became more and more herself throughout the competition. Her usual, bubbly self, and that's what I think really won it for her. The judges were able to see who she really is.”Shields is still looking for sponsors, for things such as a vehicle, for fuel, and for flights, and will also be putting on fundraisers to keep her going strong, as many of her costs are not covered by the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association, said Lawes.
