NEWS PHOTO COLLIN GALLANT
Stampede Queen contestant Dana Blasetti turns the barrel at the top of the cloverleaf during the horsemanship competition Wednesday, July 10, 2019 at the Medicine Hat Stampede grandstand.
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
With poise and composure – even when cajoling their chargers – four hopeful queen contestants for the Medicine Hat Stampede crown rode through the horsemanship portion of the competition at the grandstand on Wednesday.
With muggy grey skies turning to blooms of pink overhead in the sunset, contestants Dana Blasetti, Emily Cheung, Dionne Freimark and Rayelle Smith entertained a 200-person crowd at the first major public event of the royalty contest that leads up to the annual fair.
Wednesday’s trials challenged contestants’ handling of horses on several courses and set programs, including the presentation, grand entrance, western equitation and a trail pattern, as well as barrels, plus a general knowledge exam.
A look through the resumes shows these young ladies know their horses well, a fact not lost on Cole Ristau, chair of the competition’s organizing committee.
“We’re really pleased that they’re a good group,” said Ristau during the event Wednesday of the quartet that includes a pair from the Hat and two raised on ranches in surrounding areas.
“Everybody has different backgrounds, but all coming in with really good skills. We don’t focus on where they’re from, but what they bring to the table.”
Blasetti hails from Seven Persons and attended Eagle Butte High School before earning a degree in business management from Olds Ag College with a focus on Equine Science. She’s since also become a laboratory science assistant and has ridden in the entry teams in both Medicine Hat and the Canadian Finals Rodeo.
Cheung, 18, just last month graduated from Medicine Hat High School and is enrolled to study business administration at Medicine Hat College next fall. Despite her young age though, she’s been on horseback as a full-time hobby for more than 11 years.
Freimark, 21, grew up on a ranch with horses and is a longtime member of the Saddles and Spurs 4H club.
Smith, who was confident in the saddle Wednesday, is currently involved in a hippotherapy program at Forsyth Ranch during summers home from the University of Lethbridge, where she studies neuroscience.
Reigning Queen Haley Schlenker and Princess Abbey Perrett also took part in Wednesday’s event, providing demonstrations or the events for the crowd and guiding contestants in a grand entrance.
The competition continues through Saturday with nightly events at the Cypress Centre Auditorium, and culminates with the Stampede Kick-off Dance and Crowning, starting at 8:30 p.m.
Tonight, the speech competition begins at 6 p.m. with supper included for the $25 ticket price.
On Friday, a Fun Carnival at 5:30 p.m. precedes the 7 p.m. fashion show. Admission is by donation to the Stampede Royalty Scholarship Fund.
Current contestants and, after this weekend, the new Queen and Princess, will also be involved in a number of community events leading up to the this year’s Exhibition and Stampede. The parade takes place on Thursday, July 24.
