ROCKFIELD, Ky. – Oftentimes when people reach the pinnacle of their profession, they forget about the roots from which they came. That’s not the case with 24-year-old Rockfield, Ky., resident and equine enthusiast Morgan Askins.

Last month, Askins was crowned Miss Rodeo Kentucky. With this position, Askins will serve as an ambassador who will promote the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, the agricultural industry, and the western way of life during the next year. Hundreds of girls her age competed for this prestigious position. Askins said she is forever grateful for her 4-H and FFA upbringing.

“I grew up in 4-H and FFA programs, so that’s largely where a lot of my background came from in the equine industry and agriculture, aside from, of course, my mother riding horses and me having a pony growing up,” she said. “A lot of my background and interest in agriculture and advocating for the industry came from those youth programs.”

The Miss Rodeo Kentucky, Inc. organization and pageant competition selects one young woman in each division (Junior Miss Rodeo, Miss Teen Rodeo and Miss Rodeo Kentucky) to serve as an official ambassador. The main emphasis from the organization is to provide educational and career-building opportunities to these young women who compete in the pageant, and to foster the growth and development of young women to be professional leaders of tomorrow.

At the pageant, participants submitted photos that were judged for photogenicity. They were also judged on their speaking ability and how well they interacted with other competitors. Those three groups made up the entire event.

Askins, who resides in Warren County, has attended many shows and rodeos across Kentucky and throughout the nation since winning the competition last November during the annual pageant held in conjunction with the North American International Livestock Expo and Great Lakes Circuit Finals Rodeo.

“It was a three-day pageant, at which we did a variety of things including horsemanship, where we demonstrated our skills on a horse that is drawn randomly,” Askins said. “We also did a horsemanship interview, which can be related to either equine or rodeo knowledge, along with a written exam. There was also a personality interview and a fashion show.”

Askins completed her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture at Western Kentucky University. Her concentration was in animal science. Morgan then obtained her Master’s in Equine Nutrition at Tarleton State University. She’s looking forward to a research assistantship at the University of Kentucky in August.

In December, she will compete at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas for the title of Miss Rodeo America 2023.

“The opportunity to go out and compete and to interact with the rodeo contestants at that level will be absolutely amazing,” Askins said.

Above all, she said, is the honor to represent the equine industry.

“I do see myself as an advocate for our industry,” said Askins, who also participated in the Warren County Farm Bureau Outstanding Youth Program. “In going back to my time in FFA and 4-H, as well as when I went to Kentucky Farm Bureau’s Institute for Future Agriculture Leaders and other similar programs, we talked about advocating for agriculture. So, coming into the rodeo queen world, that’s something that we also do as we explain and promote animal welfare. We want people to understand the sport of rodeo and how passionate we are about it, and how well we treat our animals. Being able to take that advocacy for agriculture from that level and use that to build upon now is so beneficial.”

Kimberly Bellah, board president of Miss Rodeo Kentucky, Inc. calls Askins the “epitome of a rodeo queen with a servant’s heart.

“Many of our monthly board of director conversations center on how out programming will help young women to walk away from rodeo queen pageantry with a better understanding of what it means to be a servant leader and not an entitled person seeking to be served by others,” she said. “Morgan is approaching her title with the attitude that it is a job, and as all desired workers with a tremendous work ethic have, she seeks out opportunities on her own to represent her title, her platform, and her state with grace, professionalism, and a passion for all things agriculture and rodeo.”

The Junior Miss Rodeo Kentucky crown went to Tinzley Doss, of Louisville. Doss is a fifth grader at Carter Traditional Elementary. The Miss Teen Rodeo crown went to Allie Congleton, of Springfield, Ky. Congleton will attend Murray State University or University of Tennessee-Martin. Her ambition is to become a livestock embryologist or a veterinarian specializing in equine services.