Before Lexy Hibbs was Miss Rodeo Washington, she was Kennewick’s Horse Heaven Round-Up Rodeo Queen. She’s set to compete in Miss Rodeo America starting this weekend.
RICHLAND, Wash. — The former Benton and Franklin Fair and Horse Heaven Round-Up Rodeo Queen, Lexy Hibbs, is taking to Las Vegas this weekend to compete for Miss Rodeo America.
She currently holds the title of Miss Rodeo Washington 2022.
“Even though my crown, if I were to bring home the Miss Rodeo America crown, would be to represent the entire nation. It would still be me representing my home,” said Hibbs.
Hibbs is from Richland, and hopes to bring home the crown over the course of the competition that starts this weekend.
As Miss Rodeo Washington, she’s been able to bring awareness to Washington’s production of agriculture products.
“People don’t realize that Washington is an agriculture-based economy. We have over $9 billion of exports annually,” said Hibbs.
She’s especially passionate about the products grown in Eastern Washington, where she’s grown up.
“We grow over 300 commodities here in Washington State and most of those are actually grown on the east side. We are the number one producer of apples in Washington,” said Hibbs. Washington is also #2 in the country for wine production. It’s something we have quite a bit of in the southeast corner of the state.
Hibbs even works as the viticulturist and farm safety coordinator at Goose Ridge Winery.
“I’m very blessed with a job who has allowed me the opportunity to grow and be a representative of agriculture and also work in agriculture,” said Hibbs.
Washington has only won the national title once before—Katherine Merck of Spokane in 2016. Lexy Hibbs is looking to claim Washington’s second title.
It’s a competition where the Queens compete in speech, personality, written tests, horsemanship and more.
At Miss Rodeo America, contestants will ride horses on a draw, which means they won’t be riding their own horse.
“It’s the luck of the draw and rodeo you never know what you’re gonna get. And so you just have to be prepared for anything,” Hibbs explained. “We are first and foremost cowgirls, so it doesn’t matter if you get the best horse of the bunch or the worst horse of the bunch.”
As Miss Rodeo Washington, Lexy said she’s swung a leg over about 100 American Quarter Horses this year.
She also said out of more than 25 PRCA Rodeos in Washington, she’s biased to say the Kennewick Horse Heaven Round-Up, where she got her start as rodeo queen, is her favorite.
“I think a lot of people just think it’s the local rodeo coming to town, but it’s not. It is truly the best of the best cowboys and cowgirls from around the nation come to compete in Kennewick every year,” said Hibbs.
The pageant kicks off Sunday, and lasts 8 days.
READ: Rodeo Royalty: Queen Piper Schirm performs her duties at the Benton-Franklin Fair and Rodeo
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