Katie Duncan crowned Moses Lake Roundup pageant queen

MOSES LAKE - Katie Duncan, of Ellensburg, was crowned Miss Moses Lake Roundup 2015 at the annual rodeo banquet Saturday.

"I'm kind of overwhelmed with emotion right now," Duncan said after she received the crown from 2014 queen Heather Fleming. She said she's "really excited" to represent the rodeo and the town of Moses Lake, and was looking forward to the next year.

Stephanie Tolley, of Othello, was the first runner-up. Haley Wade, of Moses Lake, was second runner-up.

Duncan was the recipient of the first Irene Gamble Memorial Appearance Award; Irene Gamble was a longtime rodeo chaperone. She was a woman who believed in dressing for success, according to the citation that accompanied the award.

Duncan won the congeniality award, chosen by the contestants, and the personality award, chosen by the judges. She won the Jack Saulls Memorial Horsemanship Award, the Judy Hansen Memorial Salesmanship Award and the photogenics award.

Tolley received the speech award. Kortni Tanguay, of Ephrata, also competed for the Miss Moses Lake Roundup title.

Contestants were tested on their horsemanship during the day, and with a speech and interview during the banquet.

All four contestants said the rodeo queen is a role model, and has to take that role seriously. Duncan said all rodeo athletes, queen, cowboys and cowgirls alike, are role models. Wade said the queen has many opportunities to promote rodeo because she's a role model, in and out of the arena.

The rodeo queen competition challenged the participants to do their best, and then do better, they said. Wade, Tanguay and Tolley each said their favorite part of the competition was the horsemanship. The requirements were difficult, and mastering them showed Wade she could rise to the challenge, Tanguay said. Tolley said she was excited to see her improvement.

Before turning over the crown, Fleming thanked the rodeo association members and the sponsors that supported her during the rodeo season. Even though her parents aren't big rodeo fans, "they back me up with every rodeo and every decision," she said. She gave special thanks to coordinator Jill Tonne and queen committee members Amanda Miller and Sue Tebow.

Current Miss Rodeo Washington Audrey Ramsden and Kylie Kooistra, former roundup queen and former Miss Rodeo Washington, served as emcees. Ramsden said the queen contestants asked her for some advice, and she told them to stay true to themselves. Learn from the feedback and filter out what's not helpful, she said.