LINCOLN -- Last year Lincoln found itself the unofficial rodeo capital of Arkansas at least for a day with the crowning of Ciarra Luebke as Miss Rodeo Arkansas on Aug. 13, 2021.
Miss Rodeo Arkansas Susan Rhodes 2019 crowned Luebke during the final performance of the 68th annual Lincoln Rodeo empowering the Booneville cowgirl to represent the Natural State while competing for Miss Rodeo America at Las Vegas, Nev. in Dec. 2021.
The state pageant wasn't held in 2020 due to covid, interrupting a line of royalty annually crowned dating back to 1956.
A statement on the Miss Rodeo Scholarship Organization website explains how the selection process was made coming out of a pandemic, "To our knowledge, we appointed the first Miss Rodeo Arkansas in 2021, Ciarra Luebke. Ciarra was crowned in August 2021 and competed for Miss Rodeo America in December 2021."
Some states such as Idaho utilize a "Capital for a Day" program bringing members of the governor's cabinet to a rural town in a different county every month as a means of empowering residents to address their issues directly with the governor and his administration for an entire day.
According to Idaho's governor website, "Idahoans are encouraged to ask questions, share their opinions and seek answers from state agencies."
That's what happened at the Miss Rodeo Arkansas royalty level in Lincoln last year.
Luebke arrived in town and was put through all the rigors of competing in the 2021 Lincoln Riding Club royalty pageant. She may have been a shoo-in, carrying among her titles the 2015 Old Fort Days Rodeo title as a PRCA rodeo queen, to wear the Miss Rodeo Arkansas 2021 crown, but before that happened Lincoln Riding Club royalty pageant judges and officials took opportunity to ask her a lot of questions and put her through all the paces, including riding in the horsemanship portion of the contest.
Luebke graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a degree in Middle Level Education and now teaches fourth grade in her hometown. According to her bio posted on the Wrangler Network, Luebke loves to travel and her favorite place to have visited is Ireland. When she isn't rodeoing, Luebke likes to bake and attend Arkansas Razorback sporting events. Her future plans include obtaining her master's degree to better serve her students and community
According to its website, the Miss Rodeo Arkansas scholarship organization's mission is to organize, coordinate, administer and promote a scholarship program to provide educational opportunities while conducting an annual Miss Rodeo Arkansas pageant. The role of Miss Rodeo Arkansas is to aid and promote the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and the rodeo, equine, and agricultural industries that encompass the western way of life.
Kirbi (Allen) Carter, a former Miss Lincoln Riding Club queen, went on to become Miss Rodeo Arkansas in 2013. Kirbi, daughter of Theresa (Paschall) Allen, 1977 Miss Rodeo Arkansas, also won the Miss Rodeo USA in 2015.
In 2021 Miss Rodeo Arkansas underwent several changes with a membership system put into place, organizational committees created and an Alumni Director position established on the executive board. The very first Alumni Director is Synda Hogan, Miss Rodeo Arkansas 2010.
Molly Musick was crowned the 2022 Miss Rodeo Arkansas during the 65th Anniversary Pageant on November 7, 2021.