One of the biggest events to happen every year where I live is the annual rodeo. It’s known as the “World’s Fastest Rodeo” and is celebrating 90 years this year. Every year the Rodeo Queen and folks from the rodeo association visit the schools to teach kids about the rodeo and how using the cowboy mentality can help conqueror bullying. It was a great assembly.

But aside from the positive anti-bullying message they heard there was something else that caught my eye while watching my daughter.  I could see her looking up at this years’ rodeo queen. I began taking a closer look as well. And here was a beautiful young woman with beautiful sparkling vest and cowgirl hat and a glistening buckle. But she was dressed in wranglers and wearing cowboy boots.

Later as my daughter talked about how cool the Rodeo Queen was, it dawned on me that THIS was the kind of royalty I wanted my daughter to emulate. Yes, she was beautiful and the sparkling jewels on her vest and hat could blind you in right light, but she was also full of confidence. She also rides horse, and clean stalls and works hard. A queen, whose whole life is about getting dirty and being strong.

THIS is the kind of beautiful queen I want my daughter to be inspired by. It was an interesting experience for my daughter to see a girl wearing the title of “queen” who wasn’t dressed in a gown or wearing a tiara.

One of the questions my daughter asked that afternoon about the Rodeo Queen was “Where is her King?” And I told her that she didn’t have a king. She rides her own horse and has her own job at the rodeo, she doesn’t need a king. It reminded me that the right role models are out there for our daughters to see. That princesses and queens are not always the helpless women we see so often in the fairy tales who are just waiting for their prince to come.

So the next time your out and about in your town, keep your eyes peeled, because the good role models are out there. Sometimes in places you’d least expect it, like the rodeo.