Sweethearts of the rodeo

A new Miss Clearwater Rodeo Queen will reign over the 57th annual Clearwater Big Rodeo.

Three contestants - Jozlyn Anderson, Luci Koinzan, and Aubrey Blackburn - will compete for the title.

The three will start competition Friday, at 2 p.m., on rodeo grounds.

Queen contest chairman Devon Baum said contestants will be judged in multiple areas, including personality, appearance and horsemanship.

Contestants will compete in the horsemanship portion of the contest, which includes a reining pattern, rail work, a cattle-working challenge, flag presentation and introductory queen wave.

Contestants will meet individually with judges for personal interviews.

Miss Clearwater Rodeo 2024 will be announced at 7:30 p.m., prior to Friday evening's opening night of rodeo competition.

Jozlyn Anderson

Anderson is the 20-year-old daughter of Deon and Christy Anderson of Plainview.

Anderson, a 2022 Plainview High School graduate, earned a degree from Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture this spring.

"At NCTA, I competed collegiately on the livestock-judging team and served as the colligate cattlemen's president," she wrote in her application.

Anderson is furthering her education at Kansas State University global campus, working toward a bachelor's degree in animal science.

Currently, she is working to receive a crop insurance license and plans to become a licensed agent at Doerr Insurance Agency.

Anderson also plans to join the family farm, Binger Farms and Trucking.

She said she has worked with horses "my whole life," including brrel racing and training.

"I am teaching my three-year-old cousin how to barrel race," she said.

Anderson expressed excitement about the queen contest.

"I can see you at the first performance Friday night," she said.

Luci Koinzan

Koinzan, the daughter of Ryan and Koryn Koinzan, of Neligh will be a junior at Neligh-Oakdale High School.

She is involved in multiple extracurricular activities, including cross country track, FBLA and FFA, where she serves as chapter president.

"During my freshman and sophomore years, I was lucky enough to compete at both state cross country twice and state track once," she wrote in her application. "I hope to come back this next school year even stronger."

Outside of school, Koinzan is an active 4-H member who serves on the Antelope County 4-H council. Koinzan also belongs to the American Quarter Horse Association and is a member of the St. Theresa's Catholic Church.

"I started riding horses at the age of 4 and quickly became very passionate about them. By age 8, I started to compete at various local horse shows in horsemanship, pleasure, showmanship, trail, reining, barrel racing, pole bending, ranch riding and halter," she wrote in her application.

With several years of experience under her belt, Koinzan started attending larger horse shows, included the Nebraska State Horse Show, Loup Valley Conference and Harm and Tully's horse shows.

Aubrey Blackburn

Blackburn, of O'Neill High School, is the 16-year-old daughter of Justin and Sarah Blackburn.

Born in Broken Bow, Blackburn spent the first five years of her life on a ranch managed by her dad. It was the start of instilling the western way of life. She'd tag along with her dad while he completed daily chores.

"Working horseback and competing in rodeos are my passion," she wrote in her application.

At age 5, she began competing in junior rodeos, focusing on barrels, poles, goat tail untying, dummy roping and the flag race.

Next, she tackled the junior high rodeo circuit, competing in barrels, poles, breakaway, ribbon roping, and team roping.

Currently, Blackburn is a member of the Nebraska High School Rodeo Association, competing in breakaway and team roping.

When she is not horseback, Blackburn can be found on the softball field as second baseman. In the spring, she plays for NCN Lightning, who just won the 2024 Class C district championship, undefeated. In the fall, she plays softball for O'Neill Public School.

She is an active member of O'Neill FFA, where she earned a greenhand and chapter degree.

As a 4-H member, she has shown horses, cattle, pigs, rabbits, dogs, cats, and submitted a wide range of static exhibits.

Blackburn is also an active member in her church and church's youth group.

"I look forward to competing for the title of Miss Clearwater Rodeo, to represent the amazing community and to promote the sport of rodeo and the western way of life," she wrote.