GRANDE: Oko-local Reaches Rodeo Royalty

(Grande: Page 5)

By Todd Curran
During the River City Round Up All Star Luncheon at the Edmonton Expo Centre on November 12th, Miss Rodeo Okotoks Kezia Morrison was elevated to rodeo royalty after being crowned Miss Rodeo Canada 2011 by outgoing Miss Rodeo Canada Britteny Foster.
Kezia Morrison is a southern Alberta cowgirl born into a family tradition of farming and ranching dating back to the late 1800's. A recent graduate of Queen's University with an Honours Degree in Political Studies and Spanish, she hopes that her experience in the Miss Rodeo Canada pageant will help her in achieving her ultimate dream of one day becoming an international diplomat.
Kezia is the third Miss Rodeo Okotoks to be crowned Miss Rodeo Canada and the status is a goal Kezia set for herself when she earned the Okotoks crown during the 2009 Okotoks Pro Rodeo, which gave her the opportunity to represent Okotoks at the Canadian Finals Rodeo and compete for the national crown. “I definitely wanted to come to the Miss Rodeo Canada pageant the second I won Miss Rodeo Okotoks,” she said. “I came into it knowing full well it was something I had a shot at and it was something I wanted to do.”
It's a dem-anding process to win the Miss Rodeo Canada crown, enduring interviews, exams, public speaking, horsemanship demonstrations and other commitments. Kezia's every move was followed by judges, often hidden in the crowd of spectators. Still, she em-braces the opportunity to represent Okotoks in her new position. “It's a source of pride for me to be able to say I'm from Okotoks,” she said. “It's a community that, when people ask me about it, I can't help but smile because I love the town.”
With beauty, brainpower, talent and grace, this Oko-local adds sparkle to the Stetson of Miss Rodeo Canada's prestigious title.