Anita Moorhead Miss Rodeo Virginia 2010: The Girls Come to D.C!

One of the things that I love the most about being Miss Rodeo Virginia is the fact that I get to explore my state and everything is still so new and exciting to me, no matter what it is! I love how green and beautiful everything is this time of year.

The other day, Jeannie and I went for a horse back ride through the forest and I couldn't get over the intoxicating smell of wisteria that had lit the forest up with it's beautiful pink and purple colors. The dogwoods are even starting to bloom, I have never seen anything so beautiful in all my life! I love it here!

And just in time for everything to be in bloom are my guests! Cindy Bapst, one of my committee members and good friends of mine offered to host myself and three other state queens at her home so that we may attend the Opening weekend of Polo and the fashion show that they hold in conjunction with it.

Miss Rodeo Colorado, Kasie Pigg, Miss Rodeo Oregon, Ashely Zeigler, and Miss Rodeo North Dakota, Tiffany Kuntz were all able to make it out for the big event. I had them come in a few days early so that I could show them around the Washington D.C. area and Cindy helped me rent a car so that I would have something to take them around in.

We had a really great time. When they all got into D.C. the first place we went was the National Mall. We walked around until three in the morning going to all of the monuments. But no worries, we had an old high school friend of mine guiding us as well as 'body guarding' us! But I will say if you are in DC and feeling up to it, the monuments are so haunting at night and definately worth it. It is so different then going during the daytime.

The next day we went to Arlington National Cemetary and some of the National Museums and China Town. I laugh because every meal we stopped to eat was usually desert or sushi. Tiffany had never had sushi before coming to Virginia and I am thinking that she wishes that she never would have tried it in the first place! She was not a fan no matter how much Kasie, Ashley and I tried to sway her!

That Saturday I had arranged a Battlefield ride at Antietam Battlefield for the girls. The Spencer family was so nice to loan us the horses and Chris Wagner, Charla Wagner's beau was gracious enough to take us. It was really nice of them to arrange everything for us! I know we all had a great time, even though Chris accidentally got into trouble with a park ranger because of us girls! I guess you are not supposed to ride on the grass...whoops!

One of the things that I found to be the most fun was getting to stay at Cindy's house. She and her husband Randy as well as their two sons live in a beautiful old mansion that was one of George Washington's rental properties way back when. It's even insulated with horse hair and has the original fire places! Cindy also gave each of us girls a dress from her company Union of Angels as well as a beautiful pearl bracelet and crystal earrings and other assorted gifts! She and Randy were wonderful hosts!

Randy himself is such and inspiration to us girls. He should really go into motivational speaking. He made us homemade popcorn and told us stories of his life and we talked about everything from our future plans, to staying motivated and positive and how we could use our titles to do so much good for others this year.

The girls also got to meet Ray Reagan, who is a great friend of Cindy's and is also a polo player. We got to go to dinner with him and Cindy one night at a charming little restaurant out by Delaplane, Virginia.

The night of the big event unfortunately brought down buckets and buckets of rain, and the polo was rained out. I was really sad about this because Cindy had arranged for us to carry our state flags in and for me to get to carry the American flag in. The kicker here would have been that we would have been riding polo horses, in English saddles, in our chaps, carrying flags...would have made for some good pictures for sure.

However, that did leave the fashion show for us to participate in. Us girls actually had the honor of being the kick of to the fashion show and celebration party. Cindy arranged for us to get our make-up done with the rest of the models... we all felt like movie stars! Now, all of us girls have also been to many rodeos with packed stands, and I will guarantee you that they have never been cheered for like they were that night at the fashion show. People were cheering so loud we could barely hear the music that was blaring! We were such a hit that Cindy's phone wouldn't stop ringing the next day!

All in all I consider this trip a success! I was sad they never got to see a polo game in action, but we made the best lemonade out of the lemons that life threw at us and we had a fantastic time anyways!

Thank you so much for letting me share with you!

All my love,

Anita Moorhead
Miss Rodeo Virginia 2010