COMC Student Ridin’ to Vegas for Miss Rodeo America

Photo provided by Kagan Massey.Kagan Massey’s passion for rodeo started early in life. She began riding at the age of 5, competing in events at 8 and rodeo queening at 13.

Her interest stemmed from seeing a family friend, who was the county rodeo queen, participating in events.

“It was the perfect combination of pageant with riding,” Massey said.

Born and raised in New Mexico, the Texas Tech junior majoring in media strategies is finishing her reign as the 2015 Miss Rodeo New Mexico. In this role, she travels across the U.S. to promote the sport of rodeo. She also attends many rodeo events in her home state and makes school and hospital visits.

Massey is headed to the Miss Rodeo America competition in December at the Wranglers National Rodeo in Las Vegas. There, she will compete against against 32 other state titleholders. If she wins, she would travel for a year across the U.S. and internationally as the official sport-of-rodeo spokewoman.

Massey along with Proverbs and Sashes event speakers and her ninth-grade participants. (Photo provided by Kagan Massey.)

Massey along with Proverbs and Sashes event speakers and her ninth-grade participants. (Photo provided by Kagan Massey.)

In spite of her busy schedule, Massey has started her own mentor program called Proverbs and Sashes for girls in sixth to 12th grade. The program gatherings and events are broken up by age groups.

“It started out as sassy sash Sunday for the younger girls,” she said. “And after the first unit, I noticed a lot of people started contacting me about having something for ninth- to 12th-graders.”

Massey said she hopes the girls who participate in the program will learn self-confidence and become Proverbs 31 women, who strive to be God’s servants in every aspect of their lives.

“We had an activity where they wrote on a piece of paper what they’re insecure about and ripped it up—just different activities where they want to become a better person and walk into their schools and make a difference,” Massey said.

“As freshmen in high school, these young girls are surrounded by peer pressure from every which direction—one in particular being the pressure the media puts on each of us and how we should portray ourselves.”

Katelynn Brownlee, a senior business management major, said Massey is doing a great job with the mentor program.

“I believe Kagan is the perfect role model for these young girls because she is a God-fearing young lady who offers so much wisdom and helps molds these young girls into the women God intended them to be,” she said. “As freshmen in high school, these young girls are surrounded by peer pressure from every which direction—one in particular being the pressure the media puts on each of us and how we should portray ourselves.”

Brownlee, who is minoring in media strategies and equine science, said she and Masssey became best friends after riding together on the Texas Tech Equestrian Team.

Photo provided by Katelynn Brownlee.

Massey and Brownlee seemed predestined to forge a close friendship. One year, Massey was the Miss Rodeo New Mexico Princess and Brownlee was the Miss Rodeo Texas Princess.

“We didn’t even know each other, and we were the princesses of the state during the same year,” Brownlee said.

Now they give each other advice about competitions. Even though Massey is in New Mexico, the two talk many times throughout the week.

“We’re always willing to tell each other anything from hair tips, make-up tips, even to what we’re studying to prepare for the pageant,” Brownlee said.

Brownlee is competing for a title in November. If she wins, she would get the chance to win Miss Rodeo Texas, and winning that title would put her in Massey’s shoes to compete in Miss Rodeo America next year.

Added Brownlee: “We’re always keeping in contact just to make sure that each other is prepared for whatever competition we’re going to.”

About Natalie Morales

Natalie Morales, a senior Journalism student, graduates in May of 2016. She has always loved English classes, and writing, and is now pursuing it as a career. She hopes to get a job as a news reporter for a television station in West Texas so that she stays close to home. She wants to eventually be an anchor in a top market.