Hello everyone, I’m Talon Phillips, your 2011-2012 Manitoba High School Rodeo Queen. I hope everyone had a wonderful start to the rodeo season. I’m 16 years old, I attend the Lord Selkirk Regional Comprehensive Secondary School, in Selkirk, MB. I live on a little farm with my parents, Eddie and Cheryl Phillips and my animal family consisting of 5 horses, 2 dogs, cats and chickens. This will be my third year of high school rodeo.
I compete in barrel racing, pole bending, breakaway roping and goat tying. My favorites are definitely barrel racing and breakaway. I am also a part of the Heartland Rodeo association, and competing in junior barrel racing at the finals. I have also been a part of the Selkirk Silver Spurs 4-H club for a few years. To each high school rodeo I bring along my 3 rodeo horses Dawn, an arabian/paint x, Fox, a sorrel thoroughbred, and Sage, a sorrel quarter horse. I have had the chance to train 2 out of my 3 rodeo horses. Before joining the High School Rodeo, I was an english rider, I was taught jumping and dressage. When my grandpa, Norm Sterzer started his own, Seven Cross Rodeo Company, I got into barrel racing, and made my way into pole bending, goat tying and breakaway roping.
For the month of July, I was a pretty busy queen. I was packing up all my queen stuff as well as my horse’s things for a long trip to Gillette, Wyoming. While I was at Nationals in Wyoming, I competed in the Queen Contest representing Manitoba. I was also fortunate enough to take along my Queening horse, Sage. At the end of a long day in Gillette I knew I could take her out and look at the beautiful sights that were surrounding the huge rodeo grounds. It was definitely a once in a life time experience. I met so many wonderful people from across North America. The feeling of being a rodeo queen at the National Finals is indescribable. I have already learned to step out of my shell and speak up so I can now be the girl that is heard, rather than the shy girl I used to be. I encourage any high school rodeo girls in grades 9-11 to consider this opportunity of becoming Manitoba High School Rodeo Queen in 2012.
“Live by Faith, not by Sight!”
Talon Phillips
Miss Manitoba High School Rode0