The two outgoing royals write thank you cards alongside the two women competing for this year's queen and princess titles (Photo courtesy Ross Lavigne)

By Teagan Rasche

2021 Medicine Hat Stampede

Two women competing for Stampede queen and princess titles

Jul 15, 2021 | 4:46 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – It’s a mix of emotions as four Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede Rodeo Royalty competitors write thank you notes.

Two are saying goodbye to their respective queen and princess roles, while two are jumping at the chance to serve and help their community.

The current royalty served for two years because of the pandemic. Outgoing queen Rayelle Smith says it was a fantastic opportunity.

“We got to experience many things that no one will get to,” Smith said. “But we also missed out on a lot of things. Overall, I’m still thankful for the opportunity and glad I got to participate.”

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Smith and outgoing princess Dionne Freimark went to many rodeos and community events during the first part of their reign.

But their duties shifted virtually this past year.

“For the past half-year, we were doing virtual stuff and online stuff like reading books to kids over Facetime and Skype which was also very fun,” Freimark said.

One of this year’s contestants, Bailee McNaughton has wanted to be queen since she was a little girl.

“I used to go to the farmers’ market and watch the older girls as they ran for rodeo queen and they were my role models then,” McNaughton said. “I decided back then that I wanted to be a role model for the girls of the younger generation.”

McNaughton’s focus is on outreach programs within the community and across the country.

She’s running against Makayla Gross.

“I see this role as one that assumes the role of advocacy for our western culture, our lifestyle and tradition,” Gross said. “I want to run so that we can help maintain everything that this committee and that this organization is about.”

Gross’s focus is on the education gap between the urban and rural communities.

The Rodeo Royalty Competition is a four-part event. It starts tonight with horsemanship skills at 7 p.m. and speech night will be July 16 at 6 p.m. A fashion show will be July 17 at 2 p.m. and the queen and princess will be crowned during the stampede on July 30 at 8 p.m.

The two outgoing royals have big future plans. Smith plans to finish her degree and wants to go to medical school and be a surgeon. Freimark is excited to go back home and work on the ranch.

Both say it’s bittersweet as their time is almost up.

“I’m really happy that we are able to end it with our hometown rodeo and all the things we are able to do here in Medicine Hat in the last two weeks that we have,” Freimark said.